Mugello MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo thrilled after rousing fightback

Jorge Lorenzo cut Casey Stoner’s lead in the MotoGP world championship to just 19-points after he produced a thrilling fightback to win yesterday’s Italian Grand Prix at Mugello.

The factory Yamaha rider’s hopes of a second win of 2011 looked dead and buried as Australian Stoner established a commanding lead of over two seconds at the halfway stage.

But the Spaniard kept up relentless pressure on the Repsol Honda rider, who was struggling to maintain his early speed with rear grip problems caused by the wrong tyre pressure.

Lorenzo took the lead on lap 18 and comfortably kept Stoner and Repsol Honda team-mate Andrea Dovizioso at bay.

Lorenzo said: “It was difficult at the beginning because I knew Casey was so strong with cold tyres during the first laps but I didn’t give up and I kept pushing and pushing. It was a difficult moment when Andrea was in front of me because he brakes so late. I needed to take some risks and I couldn’t overtake him on the brakes. When I caught Casey it was the same but I managed to pass him in the same place. This victory is sweeter than Jerez and it is really important and without it maybe the championship will be very complicated because more than 30-points behind Casey is a lot.

“Now it is 19 and I can see Casey in the championship. This victory is very special for me and it has been a long time since I won in normal conditions. The Jerez victory was special but the in wet conditions you don’t have the same feeling or the same taste. But now I have a more competitive bike and we are closer. I can fight and I have the performance to at least fight. Before I was always trying to catch him and it was impossible. I was lucky in Jerez because Valentino took away Casey and for this I was leading the championship.

“Now I can win races and everything is possible. In Assen I was quite competitive, especially in the race, and we found something that improved my lap time and my performance, so I was convinced that here I could be there from the beginning of the weekend and it was like that. Now the bike is more stable and I can brake later and I can be faster in general.”

Lorenzo said he had anticipated the race being faster but the high track temperatures that hit close to 55 degrees and he added: “To be honest I hoped for a faster pace in the race, like in low 48s. But we were unable to make that because the track was so hot and we used the hard tyres so it was a strange feeling in the front on the corners and always closing.

“But it was the same for everyone. My style is going faster and faster from the middle of the race to the end and that has won this race for me. Casey was sliding too much and Andrea always struggles a little bit at the end of the race, so now I have the bike to put on the track my style.”

For seven pages of coverage from the Italian MotoGP round, see the July 6 issue of MCN.