Lorenzo out to win
Injured Ducati star ready for Japan GP comeback
Jorge Lorenzo is fighting to be fit for this weekend’s Japanese GP after a bruising last two races. Now three races without a finish and still suffering the effects of two monstrous highsides, he’s looking to return to his race-winning success of earlier this season.
The Spaniard sat out the last race in Thailand after a huge practice crash caused by mechanical problems left him with contusions to his ankle and wrist. That was on top of a stillbroken foot from a turn one fall at Aragon two weeks earlier. But the five-time world champ can turn things around this weekend at his 2019 employer Honda’s home track where he’s already won three times before. Tied on three wins this season with Ducati team-mate Andrea Dovizioso who won last year’s wet battle against Marc Marquez (see right), Lorenzo will look to score a victory over Dovi as a fitting parting shot as he heads to new pastures at Repsol Honda. It might not quite be that easy, though, with Dovi showing impressive form last time out in Thailand even if he couldn’t quite secure the win. Strong in the second half of the 2017 and imperious at Motegi, Dovi too will be looking to add to his Ducati win tally before the season is out. There’s also Marquez. Although only needing to beat Dovi to take the title in front of his HRC bosses, if conditions are right he’ll be looking to win in style. But conditions could play a key part, as 2017 showed when every session was wet. Japan’s unpredictable weather at this time of the year means anything could happen.