Eleventh during the first Grand Prix in Qatar, Lorenzo finished ninth in Austin before taking the third step of the podium in Jerez. He finished 20 seconds behind the winner in Losail, 17 in Texas and 14 in Spain. Progress is therefore regular and positive.
Loris Capirossi first put a Ducati on the podium at Le Mans in 2006 with third place, before Casey Stoner finished second the following year. It was not until 2011 that Valentino Rossi once again placed a Desmosedici in the top 3 in Sarthe, a feat he repeated the following year. The last good result for a Ducati at Le Mans dates back to 2015 with Andrea Dovizioso's third place, behind the two Yamahas of Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi. Ducati has never won on the Bugatti circuit.
Looking back on his start to the season, Jorge Lorenzo believes that “In Austin we really suffered – all the Ducati riders. We didn't expect this, since Ducati - especially with the wings - was very strong there in the past. But without the ailerons, we really had great difficulty keeping the front on the ground. It was very difficult due to the bumps.
“All the Ducati riders were far from the Yamahas and the Hondas. But I'm adding more and more kilometers with this machine and I'm adapting more and more. I'm learning how to stop the motorcycle – especially with the rear brake.
“In Texas I had a lot of braking problems, but it got better and better. In Q1, I attacked a little more with new tires and I drove more aggressively. Then the clock came. So I attacked even more in Q2. It worked, I didn't rush and made 6th place on a difficult track.
“In the race, however, I didn't have enough experience with the worn tires, Dovizioso and Petrucci were faster in the end. But in Jerez, which is a good track for me, I was able to attack and feel better from Friday. I was able to improve in each session.
“It was better than expected in Jerez, because the pace of the race was quite slow. I was able to overtake more drivers than I thought before.
Photo © Michelin
Source: speedweek. com
