After waiting since 2006 for a last lap victory pass in MotoGP, Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo exchanged positions four times during a heart-stopping final lap in Catalunya, which ended with Rossi diving inside Lorenzo for victory at the very final turn.

It was a massive win for Rossi over his young rival and means that Rossi, Lorenzo and Casey Stoner have all won two races each this season - and are now all tied on 106 points at the top of 2009 MotoGP World Championship.

The Fiat Yamaha team-mates fought from the first turn to the last turn, Lorenzo converting his pole position into an early lead, while Rossi slotted his M1 into second.

Stoner was the only rider capable of sticking with the pair on Sunday, but the Ducati star began to drop away from lap 9 of 25.

Rossi took the lead from Lorenzo for the first time on lap 4, but was unable to escape and Lorenzo burst back past on the brakes into turn one at the midway point. Lorenzo had the better race pace on paper, but Rossi clung to the #99 before attempting to settle the race early by overtaking Lorenzo into turn one with three laps to go.

Both factory M1s were using the same hard front, extra hard rear tyres, but Lorenzo seemed to have a little more rubber left and - with Rossi's rear wheel beginning to step-out under power - was certain to retaliate.

Lorenzo sliced across the front of Rossi along the home straight, but Rossi released the brakes, pulled his inside leg in and rode across the outside kerb to stay ahead.

With Spanish pride on the line, Lorenzo made an even firmer pass into turn one at the start of the final lap, gently trapping Rossi on the outside to ensure he couldn't slip back past.

Rossi responded by throwing his M1 inside Lorenzo at Turn Four, only for Lorenzo to cut back underneath on the exit, and when the Spaniard took a defensive line into the left hander at the end of the back straight Rossi looked to have run out of options.