Jorge Lorenzo will be able to say that he returned to victory in this very special year 2020. A singular achievement because for fakes in a virtual Grand Prix at Silverstone. But the satisfaction was very real. And for good reason: he came, he saw and he conquered, a conquering style reserved for the greatest in history. Did the event awaken something in Por Fuera? We don't know, but with this last intervention, we can clearly see that his mood oscillates between the intention to enjoy life and a latent lack of competition titillated by an exit from his career through the back door, too narrow for him...
What exactly do you think Jorge Lorenzo of his current situation? Observers say he is in too changeable a mood to be calm. And it’s not this latest outing that will prove them wrong. In an interview with the motogp.com website, he begins by ensuring that his current life is perfect: “ I found a compromise, mentally, it doesn't seem like I have to come back or that I have the anxiety of going back to running and feeling all that pressure again. Although the good times, when you win a race or a championship are also amazing. They provide great happiness that is difficult to find elsewhere ».
So there is even a feeling of emptiness. Which leads to this idea which completely contradicts the image of a pilot perfectly at ease in a retirement which has made him definitively turn the page. So when asked how he would react if an offer allowed him to seriously consider fighting for a title in MotoGP was submitted to him, he replies: “ it is true that no one picked up the phone and called me to do so. I don't know what could happen if something like this happened. If it didn't happen I'd be happy anyway, but if it does of course I'll listen ».
However, he would not only have an attentive ear… “ If this possibility arises I will take it to try to win. Only if I see this very clear possibility that I can win the championship ". Then he tempers: “ At the moment I'm doing great and I don't think that's going to happen, that's fine. ».
Given the expected job description, we can guess Ducati, Suzuki et Yamaha . Ducati swears he's done with Por Fuera, at Suzuki, the handlebars are taken, so there remains the brand for which he is a test rider…” My priority has always been to win the World Championship. Now I have a totally different role, and my goal is for a Yamaha rider to win the title ". Once the clarification is made, he takes stock of the M1: “ the fact is that the Yamaha hasn't changed much in four years. It's positive in one sense and negative in another. Positive because it was a great bike when I was fighting for the title, but on the other hand it's bad because in four years not much has changed. It has evolved in some ways. For example, the braking of the motorcycle is a little more fun, you can play with it more and it's less rigid, I think that's a good thing ».
“The Yamaha engine is quite similar to the 2016 one”
But elsewhere, it is less encouraging: “ the engine hasn't improved much. Comparing the telemetry with that of my 2016 bike there wasn't much difference, so I think in 2018 there was a big difference with the Ducati, which was the fastest, and the Honda, which was a little behind. 8 or 10 km/h is too much, in that sense I think there was a big margin. I also think they improved this a lot with the 2019 bike, in terms of power. So I say that for good and bad, the bike is pretty similar to the one from four years ago ».
Lorenzo reveals that while he doesn't turn much with the Yamaha , he has already made his contribution. “ In Sepang I rode with Maverick Viñales and in the same corners I could see that the new bike was having problems stopping. When I got back to the box, I told them what I saw, and it seems that in the last day and a half after my comment, they were able to improve a little in that area. In Qatar, it was much better. I think it was a positive comment that helped them a little » concludes the five-time World Champion.
