British MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo - ‘Rossi is fast and clever’

MotoGP title contender Jorge Lorenzo has spoken of the difficulty in trying to defeat Italian legend Valentino Rossi ahead of this weekend’s British GP at Donington Park.

The 22-year-old has been in sparkling form in 2009, only failing to finish off the podium once when he crashed out of his home race in Jerez back in May.

But the Spaniard still trails Rossi by 14-points going into Sunday’s crunch 30-lap race with the eight-times world champion currently in superb form.

Rossi has won three of the last four races, including two thrilling last gasp wins over Lorenzo in Catalunya and Sachsenring.

Having won two out of the opening four races, double world 250GP champion Lorenzo now has failed to win any of the last five and he said: “I’m learning how to win. I’m not winning but I’m learning how to win.”

With Rossi desperate to win his first British GP since 2005 as an era is reached on Sunday with Donington staging its last GP for at least five years, Lorenzo said: “Beating Rossi is difficult.

“Everybody knows this and I know it too. He is a very tough rider to beat and he has ten years of experience in this category and he knows the Yamaha better than me.

“He’s won more than 100 races and eight world championships and to beat him you have to be faster than him but also cleverer. And this is not easy.”

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