Jorge Lorenzo says injuries finally conquered for Misano MotoGP race
Jorge Lorenzo has declared that this weekend's Misano MotoGP round will be the first time he has been back to full fitness since before his collarbone injuries
The world champion needed two bouts of surgery after heavy accidents at consecutive events in the Netherlands and Germany earlier in the summer.
Those crashes halted the momentum of his campaign just after back to back wins in Italy and Spain.
Lorenzo ended his victory drought with a hard-fought triumph over Marc Marquez in Britain last month, and now believes he is finally back in proper physical shape.
"I feel strong again like I was at Montmelo and Mugello before the crash," he said.
"The performance at Silverstone was really good, the only weak point there was the top speed compared to our rivals, but at last we achieved a great victory against Marc.
"Misano is a track I enjoy a lot and also the Yamaha is comfortable there. My next goal is to fight for the victory once more and think race by race, improving our pace step by step."
Yamaha team manager Wilco Zeelenberg said the Silverstone win had been a huge morale boost for the team after a run of Honda domination.
"After the last round in Silverstone we are of course quite motivated for the next race," said Zeelenberg.
"I cannot say that our bike is better or worse than our competitors in Misano because finally last year we took the win and Dani [Pedrosa] had some problems.
"The most important thing is that Jorge is fit again and is feeling fine so I expect a great challenge at Misano."
HOW INJURIES TURNED THE TIDE
Marquez's progress into the MotoGP world championship lead in his rookie season is one of the most astonishing stories in motorcycle racing history.
But it came about through a combination of Marquez's own rapid development and badly-timed injuries for rivals Lorenzo and Pedrosa, who damaged their collarbones at Assen and the Sachsenring respectively.
Points from six races before injuries
1 Pedrosa 123
2 Lorenzo 116
3 Marquez 93
Points from six races since Assen
1 Marquez 140
2 Pedrosa 80
3 Lorenzo 78
Standings with six rounds to go
1 Marquez 233
2 Pedrosa 203
3 Lorenzo 194
Valentino Rossi: I never had Marc Marquez's self-belief as a rookie
Yamaha extends Tech 3 partnership in MotoGP
How Quartararo is evoking an absent MotoGP great in 2022
OPINION: Fabio Quartararo has seized control of the 2022 MotoGP world standings after another dominant victory as his nearest rivals faltered. And he is very much heading towards a second championship echoing how the dominator of the last decade achieved much of his success
The human importance of Marquez’s latest enforced MotoGP absence
OPINION: Marc Marquez will likely sit out the remainder of the 2022 MotoGP season to undergo a fourth major operation on the right arm he badly broke in 2020. It is hoped it will return him to his brilliant best after a tough start to the season without a podium to his name. But it’s the human victory that will far outweigh any future on-track success he may go on to have
Why Ducati holds all the power in its MotoGP rider dilemma
OPINION: The French Grand Prix looks to have made Ducati’s decision on its factory team line-up simpler, as Enea Bastianini stormed to his third win of the campaign and Jorge Martin crashed out for a fifth time in 2022. But, as Ducati suggests to Autosport, it remains in the strongest position in a wild rider market
The seismic aftershock left by Suzuki's decision to leave MotoGP
Suzuki's sudden decision to leave the MotoGP World Championship at the end of the season has acted as a stirring element in a market that had already erupted. Autosport analyses what this means for the grid going into 2023
How the real Ducati began to emerge in MotoGP’s Spanish GP
Ducati’s 2022 MotoGP bike has had a tough start to life and the expected early-season title charge from Francesco Bagnaia did not materialise. But the Spanish Grand Prix signalled a turning point for both the GP22 and Bagnaia, as the 2021 runner-up belatedly got his season underway after a straight fight with Fabio Quartararo
How Honda's praise for its 2022 MotoGP bike has turned into doubt
In a little over two months, Honda has gone from setting the pace in MotoGP testing with its new RC213V prototype to being at a crossroads - caused by the discrepancy in its riders' feedback. After a Portuguese GP that underwhelmed, serious questions are now being asked of Honda in 2022
Why Quartararo's Portugal win wasn't only vital for his MotoGP title hopes
Fabio Quartararo got his MotoGP title defence off the ground in the Portuguese Grand Prix as a dominant first win of 2022 rocketed him to the top of the standings. While a significant result in terms of his title hopes, it has come at an even more important time in terms of his 2023 contract negotiations
How a MotoGP legend is preparing for an unexpected comeback at Goodwood
Wayne Rainey, who’s paralysed from the chest down, will ride his 1992 500cc world championship-winning bike again at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed. The American motorcycle legend explains how he's preparing to thrill on his first visit to the famed hillclimb