Sydney  - Casey Stoner made it three Australian MotoGP wins in a row Sunday, leading from start to finish at the Phillip Island track.

World champion Valentino Rossi settled for second after championship rival and Yamaha teammate Jorge Lorenzo finished in 2009 chances by crashing out on the first lap.

Honda's Dani Pedrosa, who started on the front row alongside Stoner and Rossi, came third.

Lorenzo, who was fourth on the grid, touched wheels with Nicky Haden and slid off the track. The mishap has almost certainly cost him a chance at a first championship title.

Rossi was 18 points up going into the race, with just rounds in Malaysia and Spain remaining, and so seems certain to see off Lorenzo this season.

Stoner, on first pole since the season-opener in Qatar, put in a commanding performance on his Ducati.

The win was the 24-year-old's first victory coming off a 10-week lay-off forced on him by a mystery illness. The Australian finished second in Portugal two weeks ago.

Lorenzo, who blamed his poor time on a bout of food poisoning, was uninjured. (dpa)