Jorge Lorenzo celebrated his 100th career podium with his third place at the Austin GP, but there was some frustration in the reigning World champion knowing that he finished just 3.
3 seconds from race winner Marc Marquez, when he was expecting to be on the podium but much further adrift on a ‘Honda’ track, but this slight set back hasn’t put a dent in Lorenzo’s armour, who said that he feel’s stronger mentally and physically than last season.
Lorenzo’s third place is his ‘worst’ result since Indianapolis 2011 when he finished fourth.
“Winning is winning and third position is third position,” said Lorenzo.
“Yesterday we were so far from Marc and Dani but this morning in the warm up we found something.
The hairpin corners we normally take in first gear we made in second so it improved a lot the feeling and the acceleration, but it was not enough.
Just a little bit more, maybe two tenths quicker and I could have fought with Dani and Marc.
Today third position was the best we could do.
I want to congratulate Cal who didn’t give up until the end and also Marc, he’s the youngest rider in history to win a Grand Prix; he is a phenomenon.
It’s an important day for me; I never thought to get this unbelievable number of podiums so today is a magic day.
Time flies very quickly, it seems like it was just yesterday that I got my first victory, which was my first podium in Brazil in 2003 ten years ago and now today my 100th.
”Valentino Rossi wasn’t satisfied with his sixth place in yesterday’s race.
He was not only slower than his team mate – 13 seconds slower – but also slower than Cal Crutchlow who took a great fourth.
The Austin circuit didn’t agree with the Yamaha’s but more it didn’t agree with Rossi.
The Italian lost a piece of his brake disc, and his front was closing on him (and duly noted several times by Mattia Pasini who was in Sportmediset’s commentary booth) after he posted an intersting 2′04.
797 lap, and then his front tire also went off.
Rossi will console himself when he heads to Charlotte, North Carolina to drive Kyle Busch’s NASCAR car today for a promotional video for a sponsor, and he’ll also be relieved to know that BFF Uccio’s dad Cesarino, is no longer in critical condition and has been taken out of the induced coma he was put in after he mistakenly drank a dishwasher enhancer that he thought was a fruit juice.
“This is a difficult track for us.
We expected to do better, but I had a lot of problems in the race because I had a problem with the brakes.
I had a vibration in braking because I lost one part of a disc so this didn’t help.
We knew that we had to defend here; we know that when we cannot attack we need to try and arrive in the top five but today it was sixth.
The balance of the first two races is positive and we arrive in Jerez optimistic for the next few races as the tracks are better for us,” said Rossi.