Repsol Honda new-boy Jorge Lorenzo admitted he even surprised himself with the pace he displayed on the opening day of the MotoGP season at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar.

The Spaniard, who was forced to miss the opening test of 2019 after recovering from a broken scaphoid, was experiencing just his fourth full day aboard the 2019 RC213V and wasted little time in reminding him just why Honda made a move to sign him, finishing FP1 second fastest behind former team-mate Valentino Rossi.

There was a slight coming back down to earth in the evening session for the five-time World Champion as he just missed out on a top ten spot – and likely path straight into Q2 with track conditions likely to be less favourable in FP3 – due to a last gasp lap from Alex Rins.

Despite the late disappointment, Lorenzo was delighted with his pace on the opening day.

"I am very happy, very comfortable with the bike,” said the Spaniard.

"We have potential but we are not yet close to where I think we can go. I was also surprised by how fast I was."

Lorenzo believes his struggles in FP2 was down to a set up mistake, but remained positive about his chances this weekend.

"In the afternoon we didn’t have the best set-up for low temperatures," he said. "We but still need to understand the bike a bit more in colder conditions."