Consistency the key for Jorge Lorenzo

Consistency will be the key for Fiat Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo to mount a more serious challenge to dominant MotoGP duo Casey Stoner and Valentino Rossi in 2009.

The Spaniard finished the season’s opening race in Qatar in a distant third position, the double world 250 champion powerless to run the fast pace set by Stoner and Rossi. 

Lorenzo ended up a massive 16 seconds adrift of Stoner, but his Fiat Yamaha team boss Daniele Romagnoli was satisfied with a podium start to the season.

He believes that Lorenzo must find more consistency to run Stoner and Rossi close for the title.

Lorenzo sparkled at times in his rookie campaign last season, winning in only his third race in Estoril. But for large parts of the season he was recovering from massive injuries suffered in huge high-side crashes in Shanghai, Catalunya and Laguna Seca.

Romagnoli told MCN: “If you want to challenge for anything and be really close to the fight for the championship you can’t miss any race. You have to score the points in all the races and this of course is what is crucial.

“It is very important to build some confidence and avoid too push hard. Now he has become much more patient. Sometimes if you see that you don’t have the potential you have to settle for the best you can, get some points and move on to the next race.”