Until then, the Mugello route had not betrayed Jorge Lorenzo. Qualifying on the front row, podiums and victories aboard a docile and efficient Yamaha. But this year, there was something of a misunderstanding that came to light this Saturday. Less calm free sessions then qualifying giving a fifth place on the starting grid. His worst performance since 2011 in Tuscany.
And also his worst position at the start since Assen last year. What happened to the man who impressed so much a fortnight ago at Le Mans, to the point of taking control of the title race? Not much, but at this level of the competition, it was enough: “ firstly our opponents have made good progress since Friday » comments the man who has won four victories in five years at Mugello. “ We were fifth from FP3, four tenths behind. So we decided to change the settings to look for more stability, because the bike was quite nervous. But FP4 didn't bring any improvements so we went back ».
Procrastination which cost: “ we were not bad in qualifying but not as good as the top four. So here I am on the second line. We will try to find something during the warm-up because I brake too early ". And indeed, according to Brembo data, Por Fuera is behind Viñales, Iannone, Marquez and Red, cataloged as the latest brake on the Mugello plateau. But do not panic : " our pace is better than our position at the start. The race will be open because there are many of us who can claim to win it. It will be interesting ". Especially with a Iannone and Casa Particular in Viñales who have nothing to lose nearby.
Now we also saw a Lorenzo ride alone, while Red et Casa Particular in Viñales accompanied each other. A situation that the Doctor did not deny during his press conference, clearly admitting that the Suzuki's aspiration was not useless to him. Which is the game on this layout. What does the five-time winner think? “ My strategy during qualifying is always to ride alone as quickly as possible. Others are more inventive. Between Viñales and Rossi, it's hard to believe in a coincidence when it happens five or six times ". Here is already a taste of 2017…
