Jerry Burgess: Lorenzo now overwhelming title favourite

Jorge Lorenzo is now the overwhelming favourite to lift his second MotoGP world title in 2012 after main rival Dani Pedrosa suffered a disastrous race in Misano last weekend.

That’s the view of Valentino Rossi’s crew chief Jerry Burgess after Lorenzo’s sixth victory and Pedrosa’s first DNF of the season gave the factory Yamaha rider a massive 38-point advantage with just five races remaining.

Pedrosa suffered an unlucky round 13 in Misano when he was taken out on the first lap by Hector Barbera after he’d been forced to start from the back of the grid for breaching pre-race regulations.

Burgess said he felt like hundreds of thousands of fans around in the world in being disappointed that what looked like shaping up to be an epic title fight between the Spanish duo was now unlikely to materialise.

Burgess told MCN: “It has definitely put the title race in favour of Jorge and it was shaping up to be a great battle between the two of them.

“Whatever happened was doubly disappointing not only for them but also for those hoping to see the championship go to the wire in Valencia.

“Even I have been lying in bed working out the tracks where Dani would go good and likewise Jorge and how it would shape up.

“Here we are now it is back out to 38 points with five races to go and we are unlikely to see Casey (Stoner) shake it up for the next couple of races. I am sure (Shuhei) Nakamoto (HRC Vice-president) and Dani have got their head in their hands.”