Jorge Lorenzo: 2014 revival builds confidence for fresh title challenge

Jorge Lorenzo believes his revival in the second half of last season bodes well for a renewed title tilt in 2015.

But the double MotoGP world champion admits he was lucky to clinch third in the overall rankings after compatriot Dani Pedrosa’s late slump cost the Repsol Honda rider dearly.

Lorenzo failed to finish inside the top two in the MotoGP world championship standings this year for the first time since his rookie premier class campaign back in 2008.

The Spaniard’s title challenge got off to a disastrous start when he crashed out of the lead on the opening lap of the first race in Qatar. And that error was quickly followed up by a humiliating jump-start at round two in Texas.

Lorenzo turned his season round though and scored nine successive podium finishes between Germany’s Sachsenring clash and the penultimate round in Sepang before his campaign ended with a frustrating retirement out of a rain-hit final race in Valencia.

Lorenzo was beaten to second in the championship by Movistar Yamaha teammate Valentino Rossi. But he secured third in the rankings after compatriot Pedrosa failed to score points in two out of the last three races.

Lorenzo said: “Finally third position in the championship was not bad. I was a little bit lucky that Pedrosa made some mistakes at the end of the season otherwise I would probably be fourth.  But I lost second place in the championship with my mistakes in Qatar and Austin and then again at Assen. From Sachsenring I was always on the podium except for the Valencia race and this is a good signal for the beginning of 2015.”