It was a once again inconsistent Lorenzo who played in an edition of the Australian Grand Prix marked by the cold. Por Fuera is a precision mechanic that only reveals itself under certain conditions. The first of these is a dry and well-heated slope. Otherwise, it's the Berezina.
This visit to Phillip Island will not remain among the good memories of George Lorenzo. And at the rate things are evolving, it could well be that it is the entire season that does not leave an impression on the spirit of the five-time winner. Whoever completes his last campaign for Yamaha could well find himself finally classified as during his first: in fourth position synonymous with the worst score in the hierarchy.
A conclusion that would be fishtail before joining Ducati who will have to pray that there will never be rain again. But the weather is one thing and the tires are another. The other constant for the Majorcan is to also point the finger at Michelin: “ Michelin is working to improve the grip of its front tire, but there is also work to be done with the rear which is not extraordinary. Something more must be done » commented the Spaniard during his private press conference, and who also regrets: “ the loss of grip at the rear was enormous, it failed me from the start but that's how it is. Since the races after Brno, we have struggled ».
He keeps on : " the temperatures were roughly the same as during the warm-up and we more or less reproduced the same performances. I did the same times, in the 1'30.4s. As soon as we are on a track that has less grip, we have more difficulties and the problems we have on the bike become more pronounced. ».
But why does this evil persist to this extent on his person when Red manage to find the resources for a rebound there? Lorenzo remember : " I have a very gentle driving style and I am not a fan of hard and violent braking. So when it's cold, like in Australia, the difficulties multiply. Those with a more aggressive style like Rossi or Espargaró fare better. With the Bridgestones, it was the opposite ».
« When grip is precarious and we opt for the hard tire, we suffer. The bike becomes complicated to ride, it moves a lot, especially in turns. At Motegi, the asphalt was different and we were penalized less. Here it was the pinnacle. We shouldn't have any problems with the cold or the grip in Malaysia, where the track is brand new. There should be more grip than last year and I really hope to finish with a better result ».
And that would be good because rather than eyeing second place overall in a Red now at 24 points, he should be wary of a Casa Particular in Viñales who reassembles it with only a liability of eleven units: “ I'm just focused on progressing on the bike and thinking race by race. If I finish fourth then it will be my worst ranking in the World Championship. If the Michelins work, I will be able to win in Malaysia ».
