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MotoGP
MOTOGP: Lorenzo Just Getting Warmed Up
Jorge Lorenzo already has two MotoGP World Championships and his form, age, and style suggest he's just getting started.
Yamaha Factory Racing's Jorge Lorenzo (Photo: Yamaha Racing)
Jorge Lorenzo wrapped up his second MotoGP championship last weekend in Australia and his second championship was pretty remarkable.
Lorenzo was undoubtedly quick but at times he wasn’t able to match the pace of the Honda men, Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa, who shined, too. But Lorenzo finished first or second in every race except the Netherlands fiasco when he was taken out in the first corner by Alvaro Bautista, a move that netted Bautista a penalty for the next race. That remarkable consistency is what brought the title home.
Say what you want about modern electronics, but high corner speed styles mean the riders still crash a fair amount. It’s easy to fly into the gravel trap tumbling alongside the bike. At any given time, a significant amount of the field is hobbled or hurting. Stoner, the reigning champ and Lorenzo was able to run the pace he needed and stay upright when points were on the line.
He and his team also put a machine out there that was fast but reliable. They didn’t misfire with the settings, or tire choice, and they didn’t have any tire warmers get stuck, either
The Yamaha was much improved for the season but the Honda kept getting better all the while. The M1 was good, good enough for Lorenzo to do the rest.
Is Lorenzo the outright quickest man in MotoGP? It would be hard to say he’s faster than Stoner. And Pedrosa has won six races, starting in Germany, the same number as Lorenzo has won. It’s to Lorenzo’s credit that he was able to take the crown anyway.
Lorenzo made have had better fortune than the Honda men in 2012 but in racing you make your own luck.
Every championship has a pivotal moment and Lorenzo’s was after the Netherlands race. His 25-point lead had evaporated he crashed and Stoner won, leaving the two tied going into Germany. Given what Stoner had done since joining Honda, it only stood to reason that the Australian would put it all together and win a third crown.
Lorenzo finished second in Germany, while Stoner crashed. The Yamaha man won in Italy to rehab his championship lead while Stoner ran wide and could only finish eighth.
When Stoner crashed at Indy and missed several races, it was left to Pedrosa to take up the charge. Pedrosa shown well in winning five of six races, but scored nothing in the bizarre events of San Marino’s Grand Prix and couldn’t earn enough points with Lorenzo finishing second each time out. When Pedrosa crashed in Oz, it was mathematically over.
Winning the second championship is important for the history books. You can’t discount two MotoGP championships.
With Stoner retiring, Lorenzo at age 25 is the class of the field and the only active rider besides Valentino Rossi to win MotoGP more than once. His biggest rivals next year look to be Pedrosa, his new teammate Marc Marquez, and Rossi, who is returning to Yamaha next year.
In other words, he’s the favorite to do it again.
Lorenzo was undoubtedly quick but at times he wasn’t able to match the pace of the Honda men, Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa, who shined, too. But Lorenzo finished first or second in every race except the Netherlands fiasco when he was taken out in the first corner by Alvaro Bautista, a move that netted Bautista a penalty for the next race. That remarkable consistency is what brought the title home.
Say what you want about modern electronics, but high corner speed styles mean the riders still crash a fair amount. It’s easy to fly into the gravel trap tumbling alongside the bike. At any given time, a significant amount of the field is hobbled or hurting. Stoner, the reigning champ and Lorenzo was able to run the pace he needed and stay upright when points were on the line.
He and his team also put a machine out there that was fast but reliable. They didn’t misfire with the settings, or tire choice, and they didn’t have any tire warmers get stuck, either
The Yamaha was much improved for the season but the Honda kept getting better all the while. The M1 was good, good enough for Lorenzo to do the rest.
Is Lorenzo the outright quickest man in MotoGP? It would be hard to say he’s faster than Stoner. And Pedrosa has won six races, starting in Germany, the same number as Lorenzo has won. It’s to Lorenzo’s credit that he was able to take the crown anyway.
Lorenzo made have had better fortune than the Honda men in 2012 but in racing you make your own luck.
Every championship has a pivotal moment and Lorenzo’s was after the Netherlands race. His 25-point lead had evaporated he crashed and Stoner won, leaving the two tied going into Germany. Given what Stoner had done since joining Honda, it only stood to reason that the Australian would put it all together and win a third crown.
Lorenzo finished second in Germany, while Stoner crashed. The Yamaha man won in Italy to rehab his championship lead while Stoner ran wide and could only finish eighth.
When Stoner crashed at Indy and missed several races, it was left to Pedrosa to take up the charge. Pedrosa shown well in winning five of six races, but scored nothing in the bizarre events of San Marino’s Grand Prix and couldn’t earn enough points with Lorenzo finishing second each time out. When Pedrosa crashed in Oz, it was mathematically over.
Winning the second championship is important for the history books. You can’t discount two MotoGP championships.
With Stoner retiring, Lorenzo at age 25 is the class of the field and the only active rider besides Valentino Rossi to win MotoGP more than once. His biggest rivals next year look to be Pedrosa, his new teammate Marc Marquez, and Rossi, who is returning to Yamaha next year.
In other words, he’s the favorite to do it again.
Grand Prix of The France
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