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Jorge Lorenzo's name is no everyone's lips, for many reasons. Aside from the Majorcan's difficulties with the Honda, there is also his recent trip to the Honda HQ in Japan, where he searched for a way out of the quagmire in which he finds himself.
“it was purely a technical meeting. Planned prior to Mugello – he explains - I thought working directly with the Japanese engineers would be the best way to speed up the modifications, and we made the most of our time together. We've haven't resolved the situation and won't be fighting for the podium in Sunday - it's a long process, but we've made a start”.
The problems #99 is suffering are well known, but in a championship like MotoGP solving even the slightest issue takes time, something Jorge is well aware of. A long path then, but perhaps tomorrow will bring the first step.
“We've worked with a view to both the short team and long term. Tomorrow you'll see the first pieces of the puzzle I want to construct with the team, to find a solution that better suits my riding style, that makes me feel more comfortable and less tired in the saddle. A little like a marathon, where you need to find the right shoes, those that offer comfort and allow you to give it you all. Another big problem we have to work on is corner entry, but that will take time”.
Lorenzo is not just focusing on the bike but also on himself, as he continues to work on his riding style.
“As for me, I'm working on my riding style. I think that's normal - when you race with one bike for many years, you know how to get the best out of it. I did it with the Yamaha and Marc has done so with the Honda. In terms of braking, the Yamaha was quite the opposite to the Ducati, and also different to the Honda. There is not much difference in terms of acceleration. I need to work on braking and think I'm halfway there, also considering I've had less testing time than expected”.
Jorge focuses on the present, also because looking back might make things worse. One year ago, the Spaniard scored his second win of the season at Barcelona and definitely appeared to be on the right track.
“Last year I'd put the final pieces in place and was competitive, the Barcelona result confirming that. This year, I'm in a different situation. I haven't yet finished a race in the top ten, and am far from the front, but I think with new components the situation can change”.
To finish, Jorge has some kind words for Tony Arbolino, his training partner in Lugano.
“He's such a good guy. His mum lives in Lugano and I met him there, he's the rider who lives closest to me. I met him and we got on and so I decided to help him with training, getting him to train with my trainer and I think we've already seen results with his win at Mugello”.
