Jorge Lorenzo had arrived at Le Mans like a fortnight ago in Jerez, crowned with an enviable track record which suggested a certain ease of the driver on the track. Indeed, if we were able to detect some progress in his discovery phase of the Honda, we cannot nevertheless speak of a decisive step for the Mallorcan with the RC213V. There were ups and downs and ultimately still no top 10. Por Fuera finished more than 15 seconds behind his teammate who won the French Grand Prix and 5 seconds behind Cal Crutchlow.
Nakagami having retired after a crash, the five-time world champion is also once again the last of the classified Hondas. Nothing to brag about, but the one who was with Ducati last year prefers to remember only the positive side of his escapade on the Bugatti. Because by finishing 11th in the 50th French Grand Prix, he obtained his best result as a Honda factory driver. “ We're still missing something, as the final result proves, but I think we're missing less than before “, declared the Spaniard. “ We have seen progress, particularly in terms of speed. After the Jerez test we found something on the bike. It may not be a big benefit, but it helps a little and it shows ».
« For example, it's the first time this season that I was in the top 5 on the first day and in the top 8 on the grid. In the first laps I was able to fight with riders like Morbidelli and the Ducati riders, at the end with Rins. They are the fastest pilots I have fought against so far. Aside from the first round of the season in Qatar, which was a very slow race, it was also the race where I was closest to the winner, and even in terms of the fastest lap of the race " added Lorenzo.
However, there is still a lot of work ahead of the 32-year-old driver and his team: “ it's difficult because this bike is not that easy. It's not rider friendly like the Yamaha, where beginners are fast at first. It takes a lot of time to understand this motorcycle and discover the secret to getting the most out of it. This process is a matter of time, hard work and work. We'll be there sooner or later and things will be different » he said.
The next Grand Prix of the year will take place at Mugello, where the Mallorcan made his breakthrough last year with his first Ducati victory after a difficult season. However, Lorenzo doesn’t want to expect too much: “ we can't compare this year to the previous year, because I was in good shape last season and I had already gained a year of experience with the Ducati. I knew the problem was purely ergonomics. Now I have a very complicated bike, especially in the first year. Aside from Marc, who immediately won the championship with it, the other drivers had a difficult time in the first year. » he recalled.
Among other things, the Honda factory rider is optimistic that he has become closer to the LCR rider Cal Crutchlow at Le Mans. “ I think I have a little better understanding of how to get into the corners quicker. We can make ergonomic improvements in the future. We have made quite a bit of progress in these first races and we can get closer and closer to victory » he declared optimistically.
Lorenzo continues: “ the regulations restrict us a bit, because I would like to do something on the fairing, but we can only do that with the next aerodynamic update. But the time will come, the change will make me feel a little better, and I will know better, at that time, how to ride and get the most out of the bike ».
“11th place is not where we want to be but I saw progress. It was the 1st weekend I finished a day in the top5, qualified in the top8 and apart from Qatar, where I finished closest to the winner. Thanks to the team for all the work and congratulations to Honda for 300 wins.” pic.twitter.com/ffCdYiNVCt
- Jorge Lorenzo (@ lorenzo99) May 19, 2019
French Grand Prix Le Mans MotoGP J3: classification
| 1 | 93 | Marc MÁRQUEZ | Honda | 41'53.647 |
| 2 | 4 | Andrea Dovizioso | Ducati | +1.984 |
| 3 | 9 | Danilo PETRUCCI | Ducati | +2.142 |
| 4 | 43 | Jack Miller | Ducati | +2.940 |
| 5 | 46 | Valentino ROSSI | Yamaha | +3.053 |
| 6 | 44 | Pol ESPARGARÓ | KTM | +5.935 |
| 7 | 21 | Frank MORBIDELLI | Yamaha | +7.187 |
| 8 | 20 | Fabio QUARTARARO | Yamaha | +8.439 |
| 9 | 35 | Cal Crutchlow | Honda | +9.853 |
| 10 | 42 | Alex RINS | Suzuki | +13.709 |
| 11 | 99 | Jorge Lorenzo | Honda | +15.003 |
| 12 | 41 | Aleix ESPARGARÓ | Aprilia | +29.512 |
| 13 | 5 | johann zarco | KTM | +33.061 |
| 14 | 55 | Hafiz Syahrin | KTM | +35.481 |
| 15 | 88 | Miguel OLIVEIRA | KTM | +36.044 |
| 16 | 36 | Joan Mir | Suzuki | 1 laps |
| Not Classified | ||||
| 30 | Takaaki NAKAGAMI | Honda | 9 lapses | |
| 29 | Andrea Iannone | Aprilia | 19 lapses | |
| 12 | Maverick VIÑALES | Yamaha | 21 lapses | |
| 63 | Francesco Bagnaia | Ducati | 21 lapses | |
| 53 | Tito RABAT | Ducati | 25 lapses | |
| Excluded | ||||
| 17 | Karel ABRAHAM | Ducati | 0 laps |
