Australia MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo ‘I need at least two wins’

Jorge Lorenzo reckons he will need to win at least two of the final three races of the season to have any chance of beating Fiat Yamaha team-mate Valentino Rossi in the 2009 MotoGP world championship.

The Spaniard goes into Sunday’s Australian MotoGP at Phillip Island trailing Rossi by 18-points after he dominated the recent Estoril clash in Portugal to win his fourth race of the year.

But the 22-year-old reckons he needs to win at least two of the last three races in Phillip Island, Sepang and Valencia to give himself a chance of pulling off a shock title win over Italian Rossi.

The double world 250GP champion said: “After Estoril we have a little more option to fight for the title. It is not the same to be 50-points behind than to be only 18 but there are only three races to the finish.

“If I want to win the title I have to win these last three races, or at least two, so it is not so easy. But I’ve got this option and I don’t have anything to lose, so I’m going to try.”

Lorenzo, who trailed Rossi by 50-points just three races ago, also believes that factory Ducati rider Casey Stoner and compatriot Dani Pedrosa will have a key role to play in deciding the outcome of the ’09 title tussle.

“Both are really fast, but especially Casey at this track. He can be fast because he won the last two years and this track is very positive for the Ducati.

“Also Dani can be fast, so this could be an advantage but also a disadvantage,“ said Lorenzo.