Jorge Lorenzo rues injury-hit mid-season

Jorge Lorenzo reckons his injury-hit spell during the mid-season point of his rookie MotoGP campaign ruined his hopes of a top three world championship finish.

The double world 250 champion suffered broken ankles and serious concussion as he suffered massive crashes in China, Catalunya and Laguna Seca.

His crash-strewn spell followed a blistering start to his debut campaign, where the Spaniard claimed three pole positions in the opening three races, and he won the Estoril GP in Portugal.

At best now, Lorenzo can only finish fourth in the overall standings and the Fiat Yamaha rider said: “ “For me it is perfect to finish fourth, though we still don’t have the position because if Andrea (Dovizoso) wins on Sunday and I crash, I’m fifth.

“For me I don’t care so much about finishing fifth, but I want to finish on the podium in the last race. At the start of the season it was quite easy because we had good tyres and a good bike and the other riders had some difficulty.

“But in the middle of the championship the situation changed and it was the opposite. I started having the difficulties and the other riders were very fast. Next year we to work harder to be faster.”