New approach crucial to Jorge Lorenzo’s success

A calmer approach and revised strategy proved crucial in helping Jorge Lorenzo become only the second Spanish rider in history to capture the MotoGP title in 2010.

The 23-year-old was a model of consistency last season and dominated the campaign to set a new premier class points record of 383 after he only missed the podium in two out of 18 races.

The factory Yamaha rider won nine races and eradicated the mistakes that blunted his title challenge in 2008 and ’09.

And team boss Wilco Zeelenberg said Lorenzo’s outstanding season was all down to a new calmer approach to attacking the championship.

Lorenzo endured a crash strewn rookie campaign in 2008 and his hopes of sustaining a serious title threat against bitter rival Valentino Rossi in ’09 was undermined by four crashes.

But Zeelenberg told MCN: “We tried to work on the mistakes. We informed him in advance of what can happen and what we should think about and that our priority was always to finish on the podium.

“It was a big thing to say if you can’t win then be on the podium. He’s a winner and he thought he had to win 18 races to be world champion. That was kind of his mentality.

“He still won nine races which is unreal but he calmed down a lot and learned that if it was not possible to win, he still had to finish and collect as many points as he could.

“If you’re on the podium every weekend you will be world champion and that was always the mission even if we didn’t want to admit that. If you win four races in 2009 and Valentino six, you know you have to beat him to be world champion.

“That made a huge difference in his approach because he understood he didn’t have to beat them every weekend.”

For an exclusive interview with 2010 MotoGP world champion Lorenzo, see the December 8 issue of Motor Cycle News.