Ducati's Lorenzo 'not wasting a minute' worrying about MotoGP future
Jorge Lorenzo insists he is not "wasting a single minute" thinking about his Ducati MotoGP future despite a difficult start to the year
The Spaniard failed to finish the opening round of the season in Qatar after a brake failure, which he admitted he was "lucky" to escape from unhurt, while running in 10th place.
It followed an inconsistent winter of testing in which Lorenzo was quickest in Sepang but failed to make an impact in the subsequent tests in Thailand and Qatar as he struggled to feel fully comfortable aboard the GP18.
Lorenzo's contract expires at the end of the year, and Ducati has already signalled it will offer the three-time premier class champion a pay cut to stay onboard in 2019 and beyond.
But Lorenzo says his full attention is on improving his performance and not on securing his future.
"If I get results, my value will be higher, and if not, it will cost me a little," he admitted.
"Luckily, I have a track record that is very good and this always helps.
"The only thing that worries me is to go fast with this bike and take my first win as soon as possible.
"The rest of the work I leave to my manager. I don't waste a single minute thinking about it [his future]."
He added: "My priority is to finish what I started, to try and be the second to win the world title for Ducati.
"For that to happen you have to win a race, then a second, a third, and a fourth."
Lorenzo set to split with coach
Autosport has learned that Lorenzo is poised to part ways with rider coach Alex Debon, just three months after employing the ex-250cc racer.
Debon was present at all three pre-season tests as well as the Qatar season opener, but looks unlikely travel to Argentina next weekend for the second round of the season - signalling an end to a short-lived collaboration that was announced in December.
Ducati tester Michele Pirro will continue his coaching role for Lorenzo when it does not clash with his racing commitments, which include three MotoGP wildcard appearances on a factory Ducati.
Additional reporting by Carlos Guil
Austin circuit trying to fix F1-related track bumps for MotoGP
Valentino Rossi urges Yamaha to speed up fixes for electronics woes
Bautista thinks MotoGP rumours distracted Razgatlioglu in WSBK
Ducati’s Alvaro Bautista believes talks of a potential MotoGP switch left Toprak Razgatlioglu distracted and compromised his start to the 2022 World Superbike Championship.
Marquez “will be professional” to the end of Honda MotoGP deal
Alex Marquez says he will remain “professional” through to the end of his Honda MotoGP contract with LCR despite recently admitting a loss of motivation at the team.
Retiring MotoGP ace Dovizioso "really didn't expect" Yamaha struggles
Retiring 15-time MotoGP race winner Andrea Dovizioso admits he "really didn't expect" to encounter the struggles he has in adapting to the Yamaha MotoGP bike.
2022 MotoGP title fight now “very tight”, says Aleix Espargaro
Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro believes the current MotoGP championship picture following the British Grand Prix has set up “a very, very tight” title battle.
The signs Quartararo’s 2022 MotoGP title is slipping away from him
Prior to the summer break, the 2022 MotoGP title looked like it was Fabio Quartararo’s to lose. But a crash at Assen and the consequential penalty he had to serve last weekend at Silverstone stopped him from capitalising on a main rival’s injury woes, while a resurgence from another, plus the rise of a former team-mate, look set to conspire against the Yamaha rider
Why Marquez’s toughest MotoGP foe is stopping at the right time
On the eve of the British Grand Prix, Andrea Dovizioso announced that he will be retiring from MotoGP after September’s San Marino GP. The timing of his departure raised eyebrows, but his reasoning remains sensible and what has happened this year should not diminish a hard-built legacy
Why a Suzuki refugee feels he deserves MotoGP's toughest challenge
Alex Rins’ MotoGP future was plunged into sudden doubt when Suzuki elected to quit the series at the end of 2022. Securing a deal with Honda to join LCR, he will now tread a path that many have fallen off from. But it was a move he felt his status deserved, and it’s a challenge – he tells Autosport - he faces with his eyes wide open…
How Formula 1 has driven MotoGP's changing nature
The hiring of technicians from Formula 1 has clearly contributed to a recent change in the MotoGP landscape, with the role of engineers gaining greater significance relative to the riders. Here's how this shift has come about
The revolution behind Aprilia's rise from MotoGP tail-ender to pack-leader
Coinciding with the arrival of Massimo Rivola as head of its MotoGP division, Aprilia has undergone an internal revolution that has spurred it from occupying last place in the team standings to leading the table in the space of just two years. Those entrenched in the project reveal how the ex-Ferrari F1 chief has achieved the dramatic turnaround
The battle Yamaha's wayward son is fighting to be fast again in MotoGP
Franco Morbidelli was long overdue a promotion to factory machinery when it finally came late last year, having finished runner-up in the 2020 standings on an old Yamaha package. But since then the Italian has been a shadow of his former self as he toils to adapt to the 2022 M1, and recognises that he needs to change his style to be quick on it
Why Honda and Yamaha have been left behind in MotoGP's new era
The once all-conquering Japanese manufacturers are going through a difficult period in MotoGP this season. With Suzuki quitting, Honda struggling to get near the podium and Yamaha only enjoying success courtesy of Fabio Quartararo, Japanese manufacturers have been left in the dust by their European counterparts. Key paddock figures explain why.
Who is Valentino Rossi’s newest MotoGP star?
Valentino Rossi’s protégés stole the show at Assen as Francesco Bagnaia stormed to victory to arrest a recent barren run. But it was the rider in second, on Bagnaia’s old bike, who had all eyes on him. Securing his and the VR46 team’s first MotoGP podium, Marco Bezzecchi has all the characteristics that made his mentor special