#ValenciaGP J.2 Jorge Lorenzo “If I have a chance to win, I will try”

The weekend started superbly for Lorenzo at home, with the best time on Friday. Then little by little the wind turned, before everything went from Charybdis to Scylla. Winner of four of the last six Valencia Grands Prix in the MotoGP category, it seems that the fifth victory will not be easy to obtain for Jorge this Sunday.

Smiles were required on Friday evening in the Ducati camp with the fastest time for Lorenzo in 1'30.640 and Andrea Dovizioso third. Saturday was less festive with Jorge fourth in the free practice rankings in 1'30.603, 0.348 behind Marc Marquez's best time.

Qualifying was downright catastrophic with a fall in Q2, fortunately not serious.

But Jorge had to settle for fourth time. He was, however, the fastest of the Desmosedici riders, because although no Ducati was on the front row, Michele Pirro was sixth and Andrea Dovizioso ninth.

However, Lorenzo is traditionally fast during qualifying in Valencia since in fourteen participations, he has started a race nine times from the first row of the starting grid.

According to Jorge Lorenzo, who are " I don't fall very often, but when I do, it's always fierce. I just have this bad habit. Turn 13 was one of the worst places to crash on this track. It was like Phillip Island. If I fall, then it's hard. Sometimes a heavy high side. Márquez, on the other hand, constantly falls, but not like this.

“I wanted to recover the soft front tire for the second run of Q2, because I was then only using the medium front tire, which was a little too stiff in the first part of the braking phase. At turn 13 I only rode a few degrees warmer, put more pressure on the tire and the front slipped.

“I think pole would have been possible. Or get closer to Márquez. But I fell. In the second run, I wanted to push again, but the grip of the rear wheel was weaker. I was almost a second slower. Damage. I hope next year. »

“In the race, Dovi must join the first group to have a chance of winning. It would be ideal for him if Marc made a mistake or had problems. It's tough, in my opinion, it's unlikely that Márquez will finish twelfth or worse. Engine damage or a fall are much more likely... Dovi's chance is small, but real.

“I will try to be in front and help Dovi if Marquez has problems. I'll see this on my street sign or dashboard and then try to help Dovi.

“It’s going to be a difficult and long race. The decision for the rear tire has not yet been made. This time I'm also fast with the medium tire, we'll see, if I have a chance to win, I'll try. »

Qualification results:
1. Marc Marquez ESP Repsol Honda (RC213V) 1m 29.897s [Lap 3/6] 315km/h (Max)
2. Johann Zarco FRA Monster Yamaha Tech3 (YZR-M1)* 1m 30.246s +0.349s [7/8] 313km/h
3. Andrea Iannone ITA Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) 1m 30.399s +0.502s [7/9] 316km/h
4. Jorge Lorenzo ESP Ducati Team (GP17) 1m 30.460s +0.563s [2/5] 319km/h
5. Dani Pedrosa ESP Repsol Honda (RC213V) 1m 30.589s +0.692s [6/9] 318km/h
6. Michele Pirro ITA Ducati Team (GP17) 1m 30.764s +0.867s [6/7] 319km/h
7. Valentino Rossi ITA Movistar Yamaha (YZR-M1) 1m 30.848s +0.951s [8/9] 313km/h
8. Aleix Espargaro ESP Factory Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) 1m 30.857s +0.960s [4/8] 314km/h
9. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Ducati Team (GP17) 1m 30.961s +1.064s [7/9] 321km/h
10. Alex Rins ESP Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)* 1m 30.972s +1.075s [2/9] 319km/h
11. Pol Espargaro ESP Red Bull KTM Factory (RC16) 1m 31.044s +1.147s [3/7] 317km/h
12. Jack Miller AUS EG 0,0 Marc VDS (RC213V) 1m 31.190s +1.293s [4/7] 321km/h
13. Maverick Viñales ESP Movistar Yamaha (YZR-M1) 1m 31.030s 316km/h
14. Tito Rabat ESP EG 0,0 Marc VDS (RC213V) 1m 31.197s 315km/h
15. Danilo Petrucci ITA Octo Pramac (GP17) 1m 31.216s 318km/h
16. Cal Crutchlow GBR LCR Honda (RC213V) 1m 31.297s 316km/h
17. Bradley Smith GBR Red Bull KTM Factory (RC16) 1m 31.300s 317km/h
18. Karel Abraham CZE Pull&Bear Aspar (GP15) 1m 31.325s 320km/h
19. Mika Kallio FIN Red Bull KTM Factory (RC16) 1m 31.361s 315km/h
20. Hector Barbera ESP Reale Avintia (GP16) 1m 31.487s 324km/h
21. Alvaro Bautista ESP Pull&Bear Aspar (GP16) 1m 31.578s 319km/h
22. Scott Redding GBR Octo Pramac (GP16) 1m 31.625s 318km/h
23. Loris Baz FRA Reale Avintia (GP15) 1m 31.775s 315km/h
24. Sam Lowes GBR Factory Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP)* 1m 31.816s 313km/h
25. Michael Van Der Mark NED Movistar Yamaha (YZR-M1) 1m 32.504s 311km/h
*Rookie

Reference times:

Test record: 1'29.401 by Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) in 2016

Lap record: 1'31.171 by Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) in 2016

Best top speed: 335,9 km/h for Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati) in 2015

Provisional ranking of the World Championship:

1 MARQUEZ Marc SPA 282 points

2 DOVIZIOSO Andrea ITA 261

3 VIÑALES Maverick SPA 226

4 ROSSI Valentino ITA 197

5 PEDROSA Dani SPA 185

6 ZARCO Johann FRA 154

7 LORENZO Jorge SPA 137

8 PETRUCCI Danilo ITA 121

9 CRUTCHLOW Cal GBR 104

10 FOLGER Jonas GER 84

11 BAUTISTA Alvaro SPA 75

12 MILLER Jack AUS 73

13 REDDING Scott GBR 64

14 ESPARGARO Aleix SPA 62

15 IANNONE Andrea ITA 60

16 ESPARGARO Pol SPA 55

17 RINS Alex SPA 46

18 BAZ Loris FRA 45

19 ABRAHAM Karel CZE 30

20 RABAT Tito SPA 29

Ranking of independent drivers:

1 ZARCO Johann FRA 154 points

2 PETRUCCI Danilo ITA 121

3 CRUTCHLOW Cal GBR 104

Ranking of the best rookie (beginner):

1 ZARCO Johann FRA 154 points

2 FOLGER Jonas GER 84

3 RINS Alex SPA 46

4 LOWES Sam GBR 5

Classification by manufacturers:

1 HONDA 332 points

2 DUCATI 303

3 YAMAHA 301

4 SUZUKI 87

5 APRILIA 64

6 KTM 64

Team ranking:

1 REPSOL HONDA TEAM 467 points

2 MOVISTAR YAMAHA MOTOGP 423

3 DUCATI TEAM 398

4 MONSTER YAMAHA TECH 3 238

5 OCTO PRAMAC RACING 185

6 TEAM SUZUKI ECSTAR 107

7 PULL&BEAR ASPAR TEAM 105

8 LCR HONDA 104

9 EG 0,0 MARC VDS 102

10 RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING 79

11 REALE AVINTIA RACING 72

12 APRILIA RACING TEAM GRESINI 67

Photo © Ducati