During this Friday which marked the first of three days of the French Grand Prix, Jorge Lorenzo played the roller coaster on the handlebars of a Honda which he must quickly get to grips with. Because it is a rumor from the paddock which annoys the Majorcan to the highest point: the HRC would have given an ultimatum to the teammate of Marc Márquez to deliver results that live up to its reputation. And for good reason: with Álex Rins and fabio quartararo which explodes into broad daylight, there may be opportunities not to be missed. A noise whose existence the Majorcan fiercely denies. And yet...
A fall during FP1 with a fourteenth final position left the five-time winner with morale at its lowest. Then, during FP2, we saw a completely different Lorenzo who finished his performance fourth. With a final comment which actually reveals a certain pressure… “ The first practice session was a low blow. The fall was bitter and it was difficult to stay motivated » admitted Por Fuera.
« But I stayed positive and tried more things on the Honda. And I found benefits. I felt more comfortable, safer and more competitive. This step felt like a victory for me. Hopefully I can continue like this tomorrow, Saturday. I'll try more and who knows, maybe I can make even more progress. ».
He specifies : " I always did several laps, mainly three laps in 1'31 min. For the race, I decided not to be far from the winner in the dry. Step by step I have to put myself in this position. We have strong points: the engine, and the entry phase into the curve. But the bike doesn't give the best confidence when braking ».
Let's wait for the rest. But it is clear that it was when Ducati admitted to being at the end of its patience with Lorenzo that the latter started to win with the Desmosedici. A lesson learned by Honda?
French Grand Prix Le Mans MotoGP J1: cumulative times
1. Vinales, Yamaha, 1:31,428 min
2. Marquez, Honda, + 0.190 sec
3. Quartararo, Yamaha, +0.285
4. Lorenzo, Honda, +0.288
5. Dovizioso, Ducati, +0.308
6. Petrucci, Ducati, + 0 471
7. Pol Espargaró, KTM, +0 495
8. Aleix Espargaró, Aprilia, + 0,704
9. Nakagami, Honda, +0,775
10th Miller, Ducati, +0,810
11th Morbidelli, Yamaha, + 0,811
12th Crutchlow, Honda, +0,842
13. Bagnaia, Ducati, + 0,857
14. Rossi, Yamaha, +0,892
15. Mir, Suzuki, +0,894
16. Rins, Suzuki, + 0,957
17. Zarco, KTM, +1,146
18. Abraham, Ducati, +1.571
19 Iannone, Aprilia, + 1 713
20. Oliveira, KTM, +1.973
21. Rabat, Ducati, + 2.003
22. Syahrin, KTM, +2.475
