Last year, the Italian Grand Prix experienced an incredible scenario. Jorge Lorenzo was reborn from his ashes after having conquered, on a Ducati that he had not been able to master for months, the formidable Mugello track. This season, he is in difficulty again but riding a Honda. And here it is this weekend in Italy. Will he be able to achieve the feat again?
Some people believe it. As it turns out, his performance twelve months ago has left its mark on people's minds. However, since the start of this campaign, Jorge Lorenzo didn't earn a single top 10 spot with the Honda. Nevertheless, the paddock still has an eye on him. Like Dani Pedrosa's former racing engineer, James Guidotti, who is convinced that the Spaniard could surprise with a good result this weekend.
« In reality, Marc Márquez is certainly one of the candidates for victory in the next Italian Grand Prix " said James Guidotti, racing engineer for Dani Pedrosa in 2017 and 2018 and today at LCR Honda alongside Takaaki Nakagami.
« But this year we also have Jorge Lorenzo on our bike, who could also create a surprise with a good result » launched the Italian. He says of the newcomer: “ Jorge is a great talent and a wonderful driver. I have liked his driving style for a long time and I am sure he will be very fast ».
« Jorge had so much bad luck towards the end of the season last year that he has yet to recover. He still needs to adapt to reach his full potential »Adds Guidotti. He also pointed out that his great teammate Márquez, who leads the championship, can prove to be a help. “ Teammates learn from each other and improve through rivalry » he said.
The engineer knows what is important on the difficult Mugello circuit, but he remains discreet on the subject: “ I'm sorry, I can't reveal my secrets, I share them with my pilot Takaaki Nakagami » he jokes, adding: “ It's a difficult circuit that is very fast. It's important to find a good rhythm and be fast enough on the long straights ».
In general, you have to have the right level of skill and will to achieve Honda victories, notes Guidotti. " At Honda, this is certainly true » explains the engineer, but he also warns: “ of course it is always difficult to win, because the competition never stops and it is very strong ».
