Jorge Lorenzo hopes for easier Le Mans

Jorge Lorenzo has targeted a second successive French MotoGP victory this weekend at the famous Le Mans circuit.

But the Spaniard is certainly hoping for an easier race than the recent Spanish GP in Jerez where the 23-year-old scored his first ever victory on home soil.

Lorenzo produced a stunning finish in Jerez to close down a near four-second deficit on compatriot Dani Pedrosa to win round two of the 2010 premier class series.

His sixth MotoGP victory moved him to the top of the world championship standings and showed a growing maturity from the double world 250GP champion.

American legend Kevin Schwantz spoke of his admiration at Lorenzo’s performance, saying he would probably have crashed out in his haste to chase down the leaders.

Preparing for the French GP, Lorenzo told MCN: “For sure now I am a person more quiet and I know how to select my thoughts, my feelings and my thinking.

“Maybe three years ago I would think something else and I would crash in the same situation as Jerez.

“I only focused on being fast and being faster than I was at the beginning and I did it and that’s why I caught them and won the race.”

Lorenzo is also determined to improve his pace at the start of MotoGP races to avoid having to frequently repeat his late Jerez heroics.

The Fiat Yamaha rider completed 14 practice starts at the recent test session in Jerez while he also worked on getting more performance out of Bridgestone’s hard tyres in the early laps.

He added: “ I don’t like to race like that because this makes you more nervous and you have to race with more patience and not such a cold mind.

“But I am working to improve at the start and if I can do that and be either first or second into the first corner our problems will be less over the first ten laps.”

Lorenzo arrives in France with a slender four-point advantage over factory Yamaha team-mate Valentino Rossi having been first and second in the opening two races.

But Lorenzo has played down his early title hopes and added: “Despite our victory in Jerez and taking the lead in the world standings I continue to think that I am not the favourite because the season is very long and it has only just started.

“I am very proud however because Jerez was my first victory at home in MotoGP.

“Last year I won in Le Mans in an amazing and crazy race. It was a very complicated because of the rain and drying track.

“I’ve been on the podium twice there, last season and when I won my second 250cc title, so I am looking forward to trying again.”