Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1119655
IN THE WIND P42 Lorenzo Already On The Out? J orge Lorenzo was fend- ing off rumors started in the Spanish press that HRC is ready to jettison him at the end of this season if his results don't improve immediately. "Nobody has given me an ultimatum," Lorenzo said. "You always hear these kinds of rumors when your results are bad, but I have a two- year contract, and nobody at Honda has spoken to me about this." The general view marked it as "fake news," while Lo- renzo lashed into the reporter responsible at his Friday de- brief, prompting a follow-up article about "Jorge's lessons in journalism." Lorenzo faced similar prob- lems and similar rumors in his previous two years at Ducati, and by the time he had got the bike to his liking and started winning races, a third of the way into his second year, he had already decided to move on. But he went on to prove that he could adapt his smooth style to a very dif- ferent bike from the Yamaha that took him to three world championships. "The patience a team has is not up to me… but it's im- portant we understand this is going to be a long process." The switch was not going to come naturally, Lorenzo con- tinued. "The Honda needs to be ridden braking very late, tipping it in quickly, with a big angle of lean." He would have to adapt his technique to suit. "But the same was true of the Ducati. I need more time to adapt," he said, drawing parallels with Zarco's difficul- ties on the KTM. In line with other Honda rid- ers, he said, "The front is not the best point. It is very sensi- tive. I am having accidents. But we have strong points—in entry and corner speed." Michael Scott Pasini Back in Action M oto2 veteran Mattia Pasini has been kept busy in his enforced retirement—at Le Mans as a substitute rider for a third successive race on a third successive team. Pasini (33) was this time riding the Petronas Kalex of Khairul Idham Pawi, who sustained severe hand injuries in a crash in practice for the last round at Jerez. Repair surgery proved complex, and Pasini is likely to stay on strength for at least one more race. Pasini, a race winner in 125, 250 and Moto2, was unable to find a ride for 2019 but was pressed into action at Austin, Texas, on Augusto Fernan- dez's Flexbox Kalex, finishing a strong fourth, but at Jerez, he crashed out aboard Jake Dixon's Sama KTM. Other victims of Jerez crashes were all back in action, the worst-injured being Remy Gardner, whose left col- larbone was "broken through, but not displaced." It was, he admitted, "a bit painful." Michael Scott Rumors of Lorenzo's early departure from Honda are just those, rumors, according to the man himself. PHOTO: GOLD & GOOSE Veteran Pasini will be back for at least one more race on the Petronas Kalex. PHOTO: GOLD & GOOSE