Qatar MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo not worried by Stoner speed

Reigning world champion Jorge Lorenzo is confident he can fight with Casey Stoner for victory in Sunday’s season opening MotoGP in Qatar.

The factory Yamaha rider was only seventh quickest in the first practice session this evening and his best time of 1.56.586 was a massive 0.834s behind a dominant Stoner on the Repsol Honda.

But Lorenzo, who won nine races in a record-breaking 2010, denied the rest of the field were already facing a battle for second place in Sunday’s 22-lap race.

And he told MCN he expected the gap to Stoner to be significantly reduced ahead of the race under the Losail International Circuit floodlights.

“It could be closer. Casey is confident with his bike and he is riding so quick, but everyone is going to cut the gap to him.

“I don’t know if it will be enough to beat him but it will be closer than it was tonight,“ said the Spaniard, who was unhappy with his performance and the set-up of his YZR-M1 machine during the two-night test in Qatar earlier this week.

He reverted back to his 2010 race set-up tonight and was a much happier figure. He added:  “We used the setting from last year for this track and it was better than the test. In Sepang we tried the setting we used at the test and it worked there, but at this track we need to use the set-up of last year.

“We haven’t taken the maximum of the setting yet because I spent the two nights at the test with the other setting. So in 45 minutes I couldn’t find the maximum potential.

“I think we can improve, even though eight tenths is quite a lot. It is better to be six or eight tenths back than one second like I was in the test.”