Michael Scott
‘Lorenzo looked like the spectre at the feast’
It’s seldom that much interest focuses on a rider at the back. But it happened at Silverstone, where Jorge Lorenzo made his return after eight weeks away. Talk about the spectre at the feast. His ghostly presence elicited sympathy from even his worst enemies. Riding the same Repsol Honda as Marquez, poor old Jorge was slow, tentative, and – quite frankly – scared. He made the points, just… but was overtaken on the last lap by the generally lowly Hafizh Syahrin, who had shadowed him all race long. We’ve explored how he hijacked the headlines in absentia in Austria, with rumours of a bid to oust Miller from Pramac Ducati.
This was a much less threatening Jorge. The question was inverted – could he defend his own position, after a catalogue of pain and problems that began in October last year, when his seized Ducati dumped him violently in Thailand? We’ve also explored how his gentle style doesn’t suit a bike that likes to be bullied, and how Honda have failed to find a solution. That treacherous front-end feeling has hurt him both mentally and physically, culminating in the injury that riders fear most: a broken back. So Jorge came back at Silverstone, and – racing being a business of the moment – his distance from being competitive started a new rumour… that he was on the skids, considering quitting, and leaving a factory Honda seat up for grabs. Maybe (if you like really unlikely rumours) for Zarco. Looking at his pale face, counting his money, and equating his decision-making process with what we might regard as normal, his statement of being back to strength at Aragon seemed unlikely. He’d already admitted he was scared. There is another spectre lurking, for those with longer memories: the ghastly presence of a wasted Mick Doohan at the 1992 Brazilian GP after an absence of almost three months, much spent with his legs sewn together. He had a title lead to defend, and failed only narrowly. Mick is another five-times champ, and nobody achieves these numbers without obsessive dedication. You may judge whether Jorge is finished by the same criterion – except for one key difference. Doohan’s titles were still in the future. Lorenzo’s in the past. Personally, I’m concerned for Jorge. I just don’t want to see him getting hurt again.
‘I just don’t want to see Lorenzo get hurt again’