The beginnings of Jorge Lorenzo at Ducati follow the scenario so feared by those who imagined it swallowed up by the very particular character of the Desmosedici. Before him, Melandri was almost sent to the psychologist and Rossi broke his teeth. In Qatar, a field he dominated in 2016 with his Yamaha, Por Fuera was absent from the debates. Pale eleventh, at the finish, is his fate already sealed this year? Maverick Vinales et Valentino Rossi swear no.
They are the two riders of the bike that turned out to be the scarecrow of the season: the Yamaha M1. During the first game of the year in Qatar, one, Maverick Vinales, won after dominating the tests, following an off-season marked by invincibility. The other, Valentino Rossi, struggled at Losail, but found himself third at the time of assessment, after starting tenth.
A tenth place synonymous with the same starting grid line shared with Jorge Lorenzo, qualified twelfth with a Ducati. But the Majorcan remained out of the top 10 while the man from Tavullia climbed back to the top.
Two paths so different that one would be tempted to take them literally. To better predict an anonymous campaign for the teammateAndrea Dovizioso. An idea that the two Iwata officials, however, are wary of.
The nugget Casa Particular in Viñales states in fact: “ certainly not. There are still many races left, we can make mistakes and he can improve significantly. He can find the right settings. If he is motivated and gets back to his performance level, then he will be hard to beat. We've only done one race and, at this stage, his chances remain intact, no doubt about it ».
The Doctor diagnoses: “ we are all convinced that Lorenzo is a great driver. He is one of the best and he has great talent. I think he can handle this situation and progress during this seasonnot ". In any case, the esteem is there.
