Assen MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo rues missed opportunity

Jorge Lorenzo was furious after his hopes of a second MotoGP victory of the season were ended after just five corners of yesterday’s Dutch Grand Prix at Assen.

The Spaniard crashed out on the first lap when he ran into Marco Simoncelli’s factory Honda RC212V when the Italian high-sided on a cold tyre at the first left-hander.

Lorenzo remounted to finish sixth but he vented his frustration at Simoncelli as his knew a golden chance to claw back precious points on series leader Casey Stoner had gone begging.

Lorenzo was confident he had the pace to fight with his eventual winner and factory Yamaha team-mate Ben Spies, who comfortably fended off Stoner’s challenge to notch his first premier class success.

Lorenzo, who crashed out of the recent British Grand Prix, said: “I didn’t do anything wrong but Simoncelli crashed in the point when I was right behind him.

“When something bad happens to me that I cannot control then I’m not thinking about the past, but I could have been in the fight with Ben. There was a real opportunity to finish in front of Casey and be closer in the championship.”

Lorenzo couldn’t hide his frustration with Simoncelli and he added: “Of course Simoncelli doesn’t want to throw me off the track, that wasn’t his intention but I think he is not very conscious about the risks in this class with these tyres.

“I thought he learnt from the past and the polemic he created with Dani but it’s clear he hasn’t learnt. The good thing is that we finished in sixth and took some points. I was fast with a good pace. The championship is now more difficult so we have to go all out to win races and go fast.”

Despite his own disappointment, Lorenzo was full of praise for Spies, who was in commanding form to mark Yamaha’s 50th anniversary celebrations in style.

“In the recent races Ben was catching some confidence and getting faster and here in Assen he was fast all weekend, so I am not surprised about his victory.  He demonstrated that the Yamaha on this track was a winning bike and I hope at the next tracks it will be the same, “he said.