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Jorge Lorenzo hopes Mugello MotoGP win makes critics 'shut up'

Yamaha MotoGP rider Jorge Lorenzo believes his efforts to beat Marc Marquez and win the Italian Grand Prix will make some critics of his racecraft "shut up"

Victory in last Sunday's grand prix at Mugello was three-time MotoGP champion Lorenzo's 43rd in the premier class.

It was only the sixth time in his MotoGP career Lorenzo had won from lower than the front row of the grid, with 16 of those wins having come from pole position - also where the last eight MotoGP race winners had started.

Lorenzo has become renowned for controlling races from the front, leading some to question whether he could fight through the order and make key passing moves.

After starting fifth at Mugello, resisting early pressure from team-mate Valentino Rossi and then trading the lead with Marquez on the final lap before winning by just 0.019 seconds, Lorenzo feels vindicated.

Mugello race report: Lorenzo beats Marquez in thriller

"Obviously people who don't like you will find any motivation to criticise you," he said.

"I won many races starting from the back, having a bad start, recovering a lot of positions and a lot of seconds and finally winning in the last laps.

"I did it in 125cc, 250cc, and my first years of MotoGP when I didn't start well.

"But obviously if you start well and you have a great first lap why would you not take this strong point as a benefit?

"[At Mugello] I showed I can win with not the best pace and not starting from the pole position.

"It's another motivation to shut up a little bit the people who criticised without remembering the history or statistics."

When asked if the fight with Marquez was the best of his career, Lorenzo said: "It's funny because your last victory fighting is always the best one.

"It's difficult to have memories of the past.

"I've been lucky to win many races fighting and have exciting battles with a lot of riders in the past.

"I will never forget my first [125cc] victory in Brazil in 2003 with this unbelievable last lap, or in MotoGP my fight with Marc in Silverstone [in 2013, which Lorenzo won by 0.081s].

"I would choose Silverstone as the best one in MotoGP, but this one is quite close."

ENGINE SITUATION A WORRY

Yamaha's celebrations were somewhat muted on Sunday evening at Mugello, after Lorenzo and Rossi both suffered engine failures.

Lorenzo's came at the end of the morning warm-up, while Rossi's unit expired in the race itself and the Spaniard noted that "it's not a coincidence".

"It's a worrying situation because in three or four hours we broke two engines," he said.

"Until we see what Yamaha tell us, we cannot do something. We'll see if they find a solution."

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