MotoGP News
Jorge Lorenzo, and his half of the Fiat Yamaha garage, has had a near flawless motorcycle-racing season at the halfway point of the 2010 MotoGP series.
The 23-year-old GP leader has demonstrated a consistency and speed in the first nine races that has made him the apparent heir to the title..
Heading into the short summer break, Lorenzo is just coming off a brilliant sixth motorcycle racing victory of the season at Laguna Seca, gliding home to win by over three seconds from Casey Stoner.
During that same race, his teammate Valentino Rossi made a triumphant return to the Moto GP podium just seven weeks after breaking his right leg, by taking Andrea Dovizioso to the cleaners during a thrilling last ten laps to finish third.
Rossi, with 90 championship points, sits a full 120 points behind Lorenzo who has amassed an incredible 210 points out of a perfect 225 possible. Dani Pedrosa sits second in the title chase but after he crashed out at Laguna Seca in turn 5, commands only 138.
Watching Lorenzo at the Laguna MotoGP clearly illustrated the exacting precision of his riding, hitting all his marks in an expeditious and rhythmic manner where other riders were just slightly off the script. Only the still-injured Rossi was as precise but not quite fast.
The skillful hand of Lorenzo has led him to six victories and three second places on the odd occasions that a win was not possible. Added to that five pole positions and question around the paddock is “who if anyone is in a position to challenge Lorenzo for the 2010 MotoGP Title?”
Those who have been following Jorge from his days in the smaller displacement classes and into MotoGP, know that this success if no fluke.
He has amassed many records including finishing on the podium at each of the first eight races of the year, joining an elite group of riders who have achieved this previously in the premier- class: Giacomo Agostini, Wayne Rainey, Mick Doohan, Kevin Schwantz and Valentino Rossi.
The #99 freight train has long left the station. Looking back to the start of the season Lorenzo started with a pre-season training injury, which meant he arrived at Qatar for the first race not in his best physical condition. Second place was an impressive outcome.
Now fully healthy, Lorenzo has built up one of the best MotoGP records in history in terms of win and points percentage. With a 72-point advantage over Pedrosa and 95 over Andrea Dovizioso, who can stop the Spaniard? Unless racing takes a turn for the unexpected, no one will stop him in 2010.
Looking into 2011, it appears that Jorge will take the #1 position in the Fiat Yamaha Team, further staking claim that MotoGP is “Lorenzo Land”.
Hopeful Rossi MotoGP fans look for VR46 to return to his Italian homeland to re-emerge on a newly tuned bright red Ducati GP11 to complete the history books before the regimen of Lorenzo fully takes hold.
