Sepang test: Jorge Lorenzo admits Bridgestone struggles

Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo has conceded he is finding the switch from Michelin to Bridgestone much tougher than expected as he struggled to produce a competitive pace in Sepang.

The Fiat Yamaha rider was only 10th quickest for the second successive day today as he finished 1.573s slower than Aussie Casey Stoner.

Lorenzo could only clock a best time of 2.03.056 as he admitted the transition to Bridgestone tyres was taking more time than he anticipated.  

“I am just not fast enough on the tyres. Today was still quite difficult, although I am improving slowly. But I am not close to being where I expect to be. We have worked on our braking, because we have seen that Valentino is braking sooner than me and so I need to adapt.

“I need to use the hours we have and the available tyres in the best way possible, but that’s the same for everybody! My main problems at the moment are the braking and the corner speed. Right now I don’t feel at one with the bike and this means I don’t have the confidence to ride fast.

“I know I can be faster than this because my bike isn’t much different to Valentino’s and he is quicker than me. Of course he was using Bridgestones last year as well and I am new to them, but Colin (Edwards) is also fast so this shows how competitive the bike is.”

Other former Michelin riders like Andrea Dovizioso and Nicky Hayden have complained that they can’t adapt to the harder compound tyre on offer from Bridgestone. The harder casing creates a lack of feel but Lorenzo told MCN: “I don’t have a good feeling with the medium or the hard tyre!”