Lorenzo out of Australian MotoGP, Stoner on brink

Yamaha's reigning MotoGP champion Jorge Lorenzo has been ruled out of this afternoon's Australian Grand Prix due to a finger injury on his left hand, sustained in morning warm-up.

Lorenzo was kicked off his bike after a tank-slapper through the fast left handers at the end of the lap. The Spaniard appears to have lost the end of his ring finger in the incident.

Pole sitter Casey Stoner, fastest in every session this weekend, now needs to score just ten points (a top six finish) this afternoon to wrap-up the title on his 26th birthday, and in front of his home fans.

Stoner's second world championship would also be the first for Honda since 2006. The Australian has won at Phillip Island for the last four seasons.

Two rounds remain after today's race, and Lorenzo has less than a week to heal before first practice at Sepang in Malaysia on Friday.