Jorge Lorenzo relieved Yamaha committed to Austin test

Reigning world champion Jorge Lorenzo has spoken of his relief at Yamaha’s decision to join rivals Honda in next week’s Austin MotoGP test in Texas.

HRC agreed to arrange a special three-day session for Dani Pedrosa and Marc Marquez to help the Spanish duo learn the challenging Circuit of the Americas, which joins the MotoGP calendar for the first time in 2013.

Pedrosa and Marquez would also have had three extra days on track to set-up their factory RC213V machinery.

Yamaha has since agreed to share the track hire costs with Honda in order to let Lorenzo and Italian teammate Valentino Rossi take part in the Austin test, which runs between March 12 and 14.

Had Yamaha not committed to attend next week’s test then Lorenzo and Rossi would have been at a significant disadvantage when arriving next month for the first race at the Circuit of the Americas on April 21.

The Spaniard, who finished fastest in the second Sepang test in Malaysia late last month, told MCN: “If we didn’t go there (Austin) it would have been very bad for us.

“Honda would have had an advantage if we didn’t go but luckily we are going and this means we will be in the same condition for the Texas race and this is positive.”

HRC and Yamaha’s official factory team will be joined by LCR Honda rider Stefan Bradl, but no other team is making the trip to Texas ahead of the final official test at the Jerez track in Spain later this month.

For coverage of the Austin test, see the March 20 issue of Motor Cycle News.