MotoGP, Lorenzo: close to a win but it's not a given

Jorge Lorenzo appears to be moving ever closer to his first win on the Ducati. He has shown constant growth in the last races and reaching the podium at Aragon, just a couple of seconds behind Marquez, was the latest step. “I might never have been that close to winning before, but I actually scored the worst possible result in the race: three of us were fighting for the win and I came third..."

You don't think that the Motegi GP is a good opportunity?
“There are two unknowns, the first is that I've never ridden the Ducati at this track. The second is the weather, the conditions could have a significant impact”.

But you're showing continuous growth…
“This is also true, at the start of the season I was evolving slowly but things picked up from the Brno round onwards, also thanks to some modifications made to the bike. I just need that final step and so we'll see if I can make it in these last races”.

Where exactly?
“Motegi  is the track I prefer, both in terms of its layout and the type of asphalt. The Ducati has always been competitive here, and at Sepang too. If I have to name two tracks, it would be these ones”.

And you have nothing to lose…
“I can fight for 6th in the standings at best so yes, I have nothing to lose. This means you can ride with a freer mind”.

Even in the rain.
“From the first time I rode the Ducati I've always been competitive in the wet. Everyone prefers the dry, but the wet would be OK too, the worst would be to have intermediate conditions”.

Do you think you're one of the favourites?
“I can't say I'm the favourite but I'm in the front group. We have a greater chance of winning than we did early on in the season, the bike has improved and I can better exploit it, but nothing is guaranteed”.

How do you see the title fight?
“Vinales has lost a few points, Dovizioso less but there are still many on the table. The level is high and any slight mistake can see you out of the top 5 in a race. For now, Marquez is still the favourite”.

Would you be prepared to help Andrea?
“We haven't yet talked about it with Ducati”.