MotoGP News
Date: 5/July/2012
MotoGP Championship leader Jorge Lorenzo is facing the prospect of a pit lane start before the end of the 2012 season, following the loss of an engine in last weekend’s Assen accident.
The Factory Yamaha rider was wiped out by Alvaro Bautista at turn one of the Dutch Grand Prix, costing Lorenzo his 25-point title lead.
Lorenzo and reigning champion Casey Stoner (Honda) are thus level on points heading into this weekend’s German event - Lorenzo technical leads due to his 4-3 win advantage - but it is the engine loss that concerns him most.
A huge cloud of smoke emerged from Lorenzo’s M1 as it lay in the gravel and the Spaniard has confirmed it is beyond repair. Only six engines are allowed for each manufacturer MotoGP rider (privateer CRT riders can use twelve) and any additional engine triggers the pit-lane start penalty.
Lorenzo, 25, said: “The engine that blew up in Assen was new, only 150 kilometres, and it’s going to be difficult to finish the championship with the engines we have.
“I’m going to speak to my team to find out the strategy. I hope we can take part in all the practice sessions, but it’s going to be difficult for sure. Maybe we will need to miss some laps, some kilometres.
“The only way to recover this lost engine is if the other brands [Honda and Ducati] want to let me have another engine. I think that is quite difficult.
“But the rules are the rules, and I want to accept the rules.
“The championship situation is much more difficult than before Assen, but I like difficult things. Now I have even more motivation to keep working and to keep trying to win races.
“We will rise again.”
Of more immediate concern for Lorenzo this weekend will be an ankle injury sustained in the incident. Lorenzo was walking with the aid of crutches on Thursday.
“When I crashed in Assen I just felt some pain, but not too much, then after a few hours it swelled up, and then when I went to the doctor in Barcelona they told me my ligaments were stretched, and I still cannot put the foot on the ground,” he said.
“So I must wait some days. Anyway I hope tomorrow it will be ok on the bike, because you put less force on your feet when you are riding. We’ll have to see how I feel tomorrow.”
Opening free practice takes place at the Sachsenring on Friday morning. Heavy rain fell on Thursday afternoon.
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