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Lorenzo: It’s like tennis…

#22

Joined Oct 2008
6K Posts | 5K+
In Cider
From Crash.net.

MotoGP title contender Jorge Lorenzo has compared his difficulties at some circuits with the new generation Bridgestone tyres to that of a tennis player.

Bridgestone switched its MotoGP rear tyres to a stiffer, heat-resistant construction at the start of last season. Highly dependent on edge grip at full lean for his corner-speed style, Lorenzo was hit hardest by the change.

Work by the Spaniard and his Yamaha team improved the situation, but it still took until round 14 for the double MotoGP champion to claim a victory last season.

Despite four wins this year, it seems Lorenzo's performances are sensitive to use of a special 'modification' to soften the tyre edge.

While a choice of rubber compounds are available at each circuit, the mysterious edge modification (sometimes referred to as a 'treatment', Bridgestone isn't keen to disclose its trade secrets) is not always available.

“At many circuits we provide rear slicks that feature a slightly modified construction to improve edge grip, but the severity of the Assen circuit means we are unable to provide this specification of rear slick,” Bridgestone's Masao Azuma explained at the recent Dutch round.

Assen was where Lorenzo's run of four successive wins, leading every lap, ended with a distant third place finish. The edge modification also wasn't suitable for the Sachsenring, where Lorenzo dropped from first to fourth on Sunday.

“It's like a tennis player. If a tennis player doesn't like a surface and suddenly he has to play three of four tournaments on it for sure he cannot perform at the same level,” said Lorenzo, 13 points from Yamaha team-mate and title leader Rossi as MotoGP heads for its mid-season break.

“This is what happened to me. We have some problems. My good point is acceleration and corner speed. This tyre, for the moment, I'm not able to ride at the same level as Valentino.”

Lorenzo pointed out that he has been competitive with the rear tyre specification used at Assen and Sachsenring - citing the example of Indianapolis, venue for the next round.

“Last year at Indy I finished second, so it also depends on the tarmac if I have more or less problems. We hope to be able to fight for the victory like last year at Indy," he said. "That will be the last track with these tyres. Then Brno is a track where I go very fast and we will have the tyres with the softer edge part, so it should be better.”

The #99 will not face the same issue next year for obvious reasons.

“Next year MotoGP will go with another brand [Michelin], a different kind of rear tyre, so for sure I will not have the same kind of problems. But for the moment I try my best to be as competitive as possible.”

The Spaniard scored more points than any other rider during the second part of last season, but is taking nothing for granted in 2015.

“I don't know what will happen in the future. Every year the performance of the riders is different. Last year I was consistent, I was quite fast, I could win two races and finish on the podium in the rest. Also Marc made a lot of mistakes. That is why I was the one with more points,” he said.

“This year is different. Marc cannot make any more mistakes and it seems that he is competitive again. But I'm sure sooner or later I will have another victory and then I can recover the points that I'm going to lose in some other races.

“The good thing is that in a bad race for me, Vale could only finish third. Three points is not so much, for how many problems I had in this race. In the future I will be faster than in these two races. It's going to be difficult to wait three weeks for Indianapolis…
 
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When everything changes to the Michelin dynamic - it's going to be a Mexican monkey-..... Can't help thinking that the non-factory teams are going to be even further back in the field than this year.
 
When everything changes to the Michelin dynamic - it's going to be a Mexican monkey-..... Can't help thinking that the non-factory teams are going to be even further back in the field than this year.

Don't worry, Rossi will still be at the front of the grid printing money for Dorna.
 
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When everything changes to the Michelin dynamic - it's going to be a Mexican monkey-..... Can't help thinking that the non-factory teams are going to be even further back in the field than this year.

Keshav,thanks for taking time away from writing Donald .....'s speeches to post here.
This is the first time I've heard a GP rider offhandedly admit that only factory riders can podium. I wonder if these guys consciously recognize that their only successful because of where they happen to sit.
Did you notice there was no mention of Pedrosa? He's so pathetic that Lorenzo doesn't even give him a passing thought
 
Keshav,thanks for taking time away from writing Donald .....'s speeches to post here.
This is the first time I've heard a GP rider offhandedly admit that only factory riders can podium. I wonder if these guys consciously recognize that their only successful because of where they happen to sit.
Did you notice there was no mention of Pedrosa? He's so pathetic that Lorenzo doesn't even give him a passing thought

I guess he doesn't consider him a big enough threat on the championship...:giveup:
 
Well he isn't is he?

Apart from late 2012 when he seemed on a roll, Pedrosa has never seemed a legitimate championship threat..
 
Incidentally. Jum, if you looked at the comments section of that artilce you'd have a field day. The amount of Rossi .... sucking going on is unbelieveable, and Uccio isn't even there!
 
Well he isn't is he?

Apart from late 2012 when he seemed on a roll, Pedrosa has never seemed a legitimate championship threat..

2008 - Season ruined by the Sachsenring accident and ultimately, the bogus pit board information.
 
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Wasn't that the year his throttle jammed open in Motegi too?

Well remembered - during a practice session if I recall correctly. The footage of that is probably easy to find on You Tube.

EDIT: Just BJ.C'd it - 2010 apparently.
 
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A few of us have been saying its the tires stupid. The typical conspiracy brigade have been dismissing it on the grounds its a "conspiracy theory". How many times do I need to be right before the Conspiracy Dismissal Brigade wise up?

Now we have another situation similar to the Saturday Night Special, except this time it's called the "special tire treatment". Level playing field?
 
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A. Keshav,thanks for taking time away from writing Donald .....'s speeches to post here.


This is the first time I've heard a GP rider offhandedly admit that only factory riders can podium. I wonder if these guys consciously recognize that B. their only successful because of where they happen to sit.
Did you notice there was no mention of Pedrosa? He's so pathetic that Lorenzo doesn't even give him a passing thought

A. Congratulations! You continue to retain your crown as the king of cognitive dissonance.

B. Not exactly an earth-shaking revelation on his part. To be fair - the top riders get to be on the best bikes because of what they've accomplished in the lesser classes. It's not as if they found their factory contracts at the bottom of a box of Wheaties. The loss of money from big tobacco being handed out to smaller teams was the beginning of the end of mechanical parity and unless the world economy really takes an insane upturn - this will continue to be the norm.
 
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Kesh, may I be at liberty to insult Kropo in the same manner you insult other members? Or am I the only one to be chastised for it?
 
2008 - Sachsenring ... bogus pit board information.
Did you notice them doing the same thing for him last Sunday, albeit not quite as dramatic a difference as in 2008? And no sign of that dastardly-attempted-murdering-moustache-twirling villain, Alby Puig, anywhere in sight! :p

Always an odd one, Pedrosa. I've often wondered if the race at Laguna in 2009 (where he won by the length of an engorged bee's member) was a result of his pit board being accurate for once, but Pedders thinking he actually had more time in hand.

[To refresh/enlighten the memory about the race: Pedrosa had led from lights out, and with about five laps remaining had a three second or so advantage slashed by a fast-closing Rossi to only a tenth or two at the line. Pedrosa seemingly not responding to his pit board at all, simply trundling around on the last lap.]
 
Hi Sun, good to read you. Yeah I noticed it. Commentator made point of it.

I totally remember the race you speak of, happened at Laguna. Pedro deployed the chute around turn 3, cruised it while unbeknownst to him others were on the gas. Then he was in a fight for his life out of turn 9. Hilarious.
 
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Kesh, may I be at liberty to insult Kropo in the same manner you insult other members? Or am I the only one to be chastised for it?

JKD made a strained "un"-sequitur in a lame attempt to infer that my description of the change to Michelin was somehow a bigoted remark on my part. The joke was lame and I called him on it.

You take the piss out of me - I do the same.

You play nice - I do the same. Simples.:cool:
 
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Did you notice them doing the same thing for him last Sunday, albeit not quite as dramatic a difference as in 2008? And no sign of that dastardly-attempted-murdering-moustache-twirling villain, Alby Puig, anywhere in sight! :p

Always an odd one, Pedrosa. I've often wondered if the race at Laguna in 2009 (where he won by the length of an engorged bee's member) was a result of his pit board being accurate for once, but Pedders thinking he actually had more time in hand.

[To refresh/enlighten the memory about the race: Pedrosa had led from lights out, and with about five laps remaining had a three second or so advantage slashed by a fast-closing Rossi to only a tenth or two at the line. Pedrosa seemingly not responding to his pit board at all, simply trundling around on the last lap.]

Was just saying a few weeks ago that you were one of the few remaining contributors still sorely missed. Excellent to to see your name up on the board.
 
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I don't know why the attachments is coming out so small, maybe its a reflection of the logic you are using Kesh. The irony being the ad is for penile enlargement. You said "made a strained "un"-sequitur in a lame attempt to infer that my description of..." I don't see why I can't use the same standard as you. When somebody says something I deem a strain un-sequitur lame attempt to infer bla bla, I like to fire off a nice little dig just like you have done. But when I do it, you come in to NannyK the situation. Hence my question, may I be at liberty to do the same as you? That was the question, though you felt the need to justify your 'swipe' at Stump Manatee, the question was can I do the same using the same litmus test.
 
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