Lorenzo – “Lesson's learned” in stunning 2010 season - Euro Weekly News

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After roaring to magnificent victory in this years’ MotoGP World Championship, it has been nothing short of a whirlwind for the young man with media appearances all over the world following the success of the 2010 season. From sunny Mallorca, to the snow and ice of Birmingham, England, Lorenzo’s busy schedule took him to the NEC Motorcycle Live Show, to open proceedings to a packed audience, eager to catch a glimpse of the new champion.

The 23 year old took time to reflect on an eventful season for his rivals, his crazy celebrations and ‘that’ move against Valentino Rossi in a well documented race in Japan!

Before the season, the number 99 rider was tipped once again to be the closest challenger to Rossi, his team-mate at Fiat Yamaha and the nine times World Champion.

Who can forget the memorable race at Motegi, Japan with a classic confrontation on the track, between the worlds best two racers? It was the battle that everyone in MotoGP had been waiting for and was voted ‘Best Overtake’ in 2010 by the official MotoGP awards panel. It was certainly a lively, but very hard affair, between the two riders who don’t describe themselves as friends on/off track.

When asked whether he was frustrated to be involved in such a fierce tussle with a rival from his own team, when so close to achieving his goal of becoming world champion, he paused and said, “Yes”, laughing.

“When you are so close together racing and the battle is so heated, it’s very intense. You’re chasing ‘Vale’ and you’re 10 metres from making a podium, of course you just want to try, try, and try. Maybe it was a mistake for me to play this type of game (to be involved in a fight to pass) but maybe I’ve learned a lesson from this.”

With his closest rivals for the title suffering injuries, some people have suggested the Majorcan rider didn’t deserve the elusive MotoGP crown. 

The record books do tend to cast aspersions on this, with an astonishingly consistent record that shows Lorenzo never put a foot wrong. His worst positions of the year (if you can call them bad by; by his high standards) were two fourth places. Lorenzo was winning the championship before the sad injury to Rossi and had a large lead in the points over his fellow Spaniard, Dani Pedrosa, when the latter was unfortunately injured towards the end of the year.

“When I first heard about Rossi breaking his leg, it was a big depression for me. You never want any competitor to become injured, especially when it’s someone you are fighting with so closely. Ok, so honestly speaking, it was better for us in the championship of course, but I wanted to fight against him until the very end of the season and I was prepared for that.  With Pedrosa, it was such a pity in the way he got injured, as it wasn’t his fault the crash happened. Some people don’t think I   deserve this title, but these injuries are just what happened this year and I think we will see what happens in 2011…”

The world champion says the young Italian, Marco Simoncelli who rides for Honda Gresini, is certainly a man to watch next season. After dicing with him in perilous fashion in the final race in Valencia, it was certainly an encounter that left a lasting impression on Lorenzo. “I don’t know how I stayed on. I was unbelievably lucky. I felt I was going to crash and come off the bike, but I just lifted my leg like I used to do when I was riding smaller bikes, and miraculously I managed to regain control on the bike.”

The recovery of this encounter in Valencia, led to what the Spaniard rated as his best victory of the year. “Jerez and Valencia gave me the most wonderful emotion for winning the races in the way I achieved them. Jerez was fantastic as I had never won there before in MotoGP and the celebration in the lake was just perfect.  Valencia was the one I was most proud of though, coming from fifth place in the race, to pass Casey Stoner and Rossi to win in front of my home fans.”

It was also Lorenzo’s most dangerous and possibly funniest moment of the season when he struggled to swim out of the lake after his joyful emotions.  After the chequered flag, the victor celebrated by jumping in a lake within the circuit, but it didn’t necessarily go to plan. “Yes I nearly drowned, it was more dangerous than I had expected as my leathers were so heavy in the water!” he admitted with a wry smile.

Lorenzo was joined at the NEC Motorbike Show by new Tech 3 rider, Cal Crutchlow and the 125 cc race winner at Valencia, Bradley Smith.

Smith summed up nicely the thoughts of many in the paddock when he suggested, “Anyone who says Jorge doesn’t deserve the championship, is an idiot!”

With that, the Palma born star, flew back to warmer climbs to attend a well received fan club dinner in Barcelona, to toast the richly deserved MotoGP World Champion.

By Leandra Graves

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