Jorge Lorenzo evaluates new Yamaha bodywork in Australia

Double MotoGP world champion Jorge Lorenzo assessed a new fairing on the second day of the Bridgestone tyre test at Phillip Island today.

The unbranded black carbon YZR-M1 fairing was evaluated by the Spaniard shortly before the lunch break and is tailor made specifically to cope with windy conditions at the coastal Australian venue.

Strong winds are a common feature at the Australian Grand Prix weekend and Lorenzo complained about gusts impacting on his riding during last October’s race.

The most frequently seen and quick solution is to have holes drilled in the fairing, but after last year’s race Lorenzo requested a new fairing to cope with the buffeting his YZR-M1 gets at Phillip Island, with strong winds blowing in off the nearby Bass Strait.

The new bodywork was clearly smaller and featured a larger intake than the standard version Lorenzo and factory Yamaha teammate Valentino Rossi normally use.

Yamaha confirmed to MCN that the fairing was a specific design made for Phillip Island but could also be utilised at other tracks on the calendar if required.

Team boss Wilco Zeelenberg said: “Wind can be a problem at this track. We are very close to the sea and this track has some very fast corners, so we wanted to see the behavior of the bike with a different shape of fairing. It wasn’t so windy today so we couldn’t find a significant difference, so we will have to test again when it is windier. But already we know we can use both without big problems and that’s good.”

Rossi did not test the new fairing today.