MotoGP title challenger Jorge Lorenzo has his Assen qualifying scuppered after changing his riding style to suit two sectors at the Dutch track only to regress to a more natural rhythm and lose out on a front-row start by a little over two-tenths of a second.
During qualifying two, Lorenzo was fastest in sector one, slowest in sector two, second fastest in sector three and second from slowest in sector four. All of which means he slumped to eighth in today’s final timed session, will now have to fight his way through the pack to try and get on terms with poleman and Movistar Yamaha team-mate Valentino Rossi who he hopes will be fighting with third-placed man Marc Marquez and their pair hold each other up.
“We have to fight a little bit to be competitive with these tyres but we finally arrive in free practice four and I was very happy with my bike. The I have to fight also in sector two and four and I didn’t find the best way of riding, or braking, or shifting down so little by little I modified my style to be competitive in these two sectors,” said Lorenzo, speaking at Assen.
“In the qualifying, when I have to push in these two sectors, I come back a little to my normal style and I lose too much. Ilose two in sector two and three or four in sector four. This way the key to being in the first row. In others I was first or second.
“Is a pity for tomorrow butI think my bike is working well. I just need to understand these two sectors if I can improve a little bit more. The pace in FP4 was good on an old tyre so with a good start and some patience I can little by little pass the riders that are supposed to be a little slower on pace.
“We have focused on the new chassis and setup, but they are similar but we can keep a little higher pace. If my start is good, we can probably pass some riders on the start, then try to find the best braking to pass the others. For sure it is worse, but in front of me I have a big challenge.
“I hope that Valentino and Marc are fighting in every corner. My only goal is to not make mistakes. It is not easy but I am ready to do it. The pace will be around 1’33.8 and I think our bike works well on the used tyre. We will see how the rest of the bikes are. This is going to be the pace.”
