MotoGP, Lorenzo, "We didn't have a dry strategy"

Jorge Lorenzo had hoped for a dry Sunday. All he had to do was open his eyes this morning to see that, in all likelihood, he would be facing another Assen. The first troubles came in warm up, then confirmed in the race too. In the end, the Yamaha rider had to settle for a fifteenth place finish.

The day was an uphill battle from the start.

“From the warm up I was convinced that the situation would be difficult in these conditions. In fact, I was not very fast. In the race things went better, although the result is far below expectations.”

In these conditions you can’t seem to find your groove.

 “A disastrous weekend, where the feeling was lacking. These conditions are certainly not ideal for me and I think that is clear. We need to work and be humble to understand what we are doing wrong so we can be more complete. I need to understand what is missing so I won’t suffer in these conditions.”

Where do these difficulties come from?

“The problem with the Michelins is one that comes from my riding style, so I need to figure out how to work. I don’t feel confident with the front.”

Marquez and Honda demonstrated that they had a perfect strategy.

“The Marquez that overtook me with slicks had another pace. Before the race, we did not think that the track would dry out. We did not think about it too much and what’s more, we had not decided on a strategy for the dry. When the asphalt began to dry out, I started losing positions because I did not feel safe, in particular with the front, both in turns and in braking. I changed the bike when the team signalled me to do so. Maybe it was a bit late, maybe with a better strategy I could have earned a position farther forward.”

This is certainly not an easy moment. You have already had to deal with difficult situations in the past. How can they be resolved?

“With hard work I will definitely be back to battling for the win. Right now, with Michelin I need to concentrate much more than I had expected. This is already the second time something like this has happened to me. It is 90% up to me to find the solution, because I don’t think it depends on the bike’s setup.”