MotoGP News
Date:
3/May/2013
Reigning MotoGP World Champion Jorge Lorenzo set the pace in
both Friday practice sessions for the Spanish Grand Prix, but an Englishman and
an Italian could upset the home party.
Lorenzo, plus countrymen Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa are
currently 1-2-3 in the World Championship heading into the first of their
home-based rounds. Plenty of pride will thus be at stake as they contest
victory in front of one of the biggest crowds of the season at Jerez on Sunday.
The home trio certainly didn’t disappoint on day one. 0.142s
separated Yamaha’s leader Lorenzo and Pedrosa, with exciting race-winning
rookie Marquez lacking just 0.327s in fifth.
But between the Hondas of Pedrosa and Marquez were two
‘foreign invaders’; Cal Crutchlow (Tech 3 Yamaha) and Valentino Rossi (Yamaha).
The pair led a pre-season test at Jerez in March and further confirmed their
potential to bump at least one of the Spaniards off the podium.
Lorenzo, joint leader of the Championship standings with
Marquez, knows he’ll need to up his pace to stay ahead.
“We’ll have to work on the settings tomorrow. We need to
improve our pace by three or four tenths, to ride comfortably in the 1m 39s.
This will be out goal - to improve by around half a second.
“I’m happy that we are fastest, but I want more,” he
declared.
Lorenzo will celebrate his 26th birthday on
Saturday, when he is also due to have the final corner of the circuit
officially renamed in his honour.
“This morning when I went through the corner I felt very proud
and emotional, after a few laps I was able to focus.”
Electricity problems blighted the opening day of the
European season, causing afternoon practice to be delayed.
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