Lorenzo to start Motegi contest from fifth

Sunday’s Motul Grand Prix of Japan will see Movistar Yamaha MotoGP’s Jorge Lorenzo start from fifth on the grid.

It was an incredibly tight Q2 session with the top ten split by just half a second. With all the MotoGP™ riders so close and competitive, a start on the front two rows could be vital to challenge for the podium.

For a time it looked as though Lorenzo would start off the front two rows, however the double MotoGP World Champion was able to respond with a solid lap of 1’44.784s. This put Lorenzo in fifth, just 0.009s behind Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda).

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) claimed pole, and a new lap record, with a 1’44.502s. This was just 0.282s quicker than Lorenzo.

The previous six races have seen the Yamaha rider finish on the podium and he will be looking to continue that run. The 2013 Motegi race saw Lorenzo claim victory over Marquez as the two fought for the Championship.

On his qualifying result Lorenzo said, “My last lap could have been faster, because I made a mistake. I lost two tenths but the other guys, Valentino, Dovizioso, Marc and Dani made good lap times. I didn’t do a perfect lap, but the important thing is that our pace is really good. I’m very confident. Let’s hope that it doesn’t rain tomorrow and that we can show our potential.”

“It’s important to make a good start and try to overtake some riders on the first laps, but the race is very long so having a good pace is going to be the most important thing. To have a good race you have to have good feeling. Let’s hope for a competitive race and try to fight for the win,” he added.

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