Lack of patience hurts Lorenzo

Jorge Lorenzo said that a lack of patience cost him dearly in Italy after crashing out of the San Marino Grand Prix on his first lap on slick tyres on a drying track. He had made the decision to pit to slicks later than most of the field having been keen not to lose ground to his teammate, Valentino Rossi.

With the title battle finely poised the risk of crashing by changing too early weighed on Lorenzo however ultimately his failure to pit earlier would cost him dearly. Once switched to slick tyres he was amazed by the speed of other riders and risked too much to match their pace before the tyres had come up to temperature.

“It was very difficult to warm-up the tyre and get used to the feeling again of the slick tyre,” said Lorenzo. “When Redding passed me so quick I lost a little bit the patience, because I felt I was going too slow and needed to hurry up or they would all catch me. That’s why for one moment I didn’t pay attention into Turn 15. It’s a left after many rights. You have to be careful there even in the dry. I didn’t pay attention to this factor and I entered too quick for the temperature of the rear tyre. That was the mistake, because if I was a little more patient second or third place would have been mine.”