After winning the World Championship with Marc Márquez, then the manufacturers' title, Honda wishes to also win the teams' title at the last Grand Prix in order to capture the "Triple Crown". But the fight promises to be difficult between the Repsol Honda Team (which has 430 points) and the Ducati Team (which has 432). The role of Jorge Lorenzo could be decisive.
Si Cal Crutchlow has proven useful more than once by scoring big points in the constructors' championship, on the other hand he is not part of the official team, and therefore only the results of Márquez and Lorenzo will be taken into account this Sunday for the team ranking.
Jorge Lorenzo has fond memories of Valencia, where he won two of his five World Championships and where he also claimed four MotoGP victories, in 2010, 2013, 2015 and 2016.
According to Jorge Lorenzo, who are " Valencia is a very different circuit to those we have raced on. It's very tight compared to Phillip Island and Sepang and it can get quite chilly at times, especially in the morning and that's something to be aware of. After a more positive race in Malaysia, I strive to continue to improve and do everything I can to help the Repsol Honda team win the team championship. »
This is for the official version, as communicated by his team, because deep down Lorenzo knows very well that he is still handicapped by the consequences of his double fracture of the vertebrae. Currently, only one thing matters to him: preserving his spinal cord. “ I guess I'm aware of it ", He explained to Matt Oxley. " Your brain stops you from pushing the limits " he added. " I still feel pain, even when I lift weights in the gym. Until I feel good and feel no pain, my subconscious will not change the chip that will tell me: OK, now I feel normal again, now I can attack »
" It will be fine “, he continued. “ Feeling 100 percent will make my subconscious want to ride more, allow me to take more risks and train harder in the gym, which will allow me to arrive at the track better physical condition. »
For Jorge, it was in Barcelona that his season really changed: “ In Montmeló, I was quite fast in the first laps. I was in the leading group. But I fell in the race. I then fell during the test with a big fall. I was very lucky not to be seriously injured, because the accident was very, very unpleasant. But during the Monday test in Montmeló, something changed. I already had a small fracture in my back » he explained to crash.net.
“When I arrived at Assen I was already injured, so when I fell in the gravel there was a big impact and I was seriously injured in the back. From there it certainly stopped my progress. For two months, I hardly did any sport. My physical condition deteriorated very quickly. »
“I still suffer from this back problem when I sleep and after each session. It's getting better and better. Every week I feel a little better, but I still suffer. If every time you push you have a big crash, your confidence on the bike is no longer the same. So I think it's a combination of several things. In MotoGP, if you're not 100% fit and you're not 100% safe, it's very difficult to be competitive. I think that's my biggest problem right now. »
The current bike is not ideal for Lorenzo: “ I hope the new bike corrects the negative aspects and I think Honda understands what they need to do to resolve the issues. It's not just me saying these things, Cal and even Marc are saying more or less the same things. Our comments are not opposed, they are very similar. The only difference is that Marc is winning and we are very, very far away! But it's one thing to know where your problems are and why you're failing, it's another to solve them on the track. »
Without the physique or the suitable motorcycle, the situation can only be complicated: " It's difficult. Now it's very hard. If I imagine winning a race, it's very difficult to imagine. But to do that, I have to be much, much closer to the fastest guy. For the moment, this is not possible. Yes, in MotoGP, anything can happen. You may have a strange race. You can get lucky sometimes, but I don't want to win a race by being lucky or taking advantage of a strange condition. I want to win a race because I deserve it and I'm fast enough to beat everyone. »
Photos © Repsol Media
