Lorenzo 'very lucky' he or Rossi didn't crash after Assen MotoGP hit
Jorge Lorenzo says it was "very lucky" neither he or Valentino Rossi crashed after the Yamaha rider rear-ended Lorenzo's Ducati early on in Sunday's Assen race
Lorenzo made a fantastic start from 10th to take the lead on the opening lap, which he maintained in the early stages of the race.
But the Spaniard had a hairy moment when he lost the front end of his Ducati at Turn 17 and, after losing significant speed, was hit by Rossi, who could not avoid the rear of Lorenzo's bike.
Both riders stayed upright and were able to continue, but Lorenzo said it was fortunate neither crashed.
"It was a very scary moment, I didn't know what happened behind me, I didn't know if someone crashed with that impact," said Lorenzo, who finished the race in seventh.
"I didn't even know which rider was it, [Marc] Marquez or another rider, but finally it was Valentino. We've been very lucky.
"With Michelin you have a little bit more grip on the edge of the rear tyre than the front.
"[It] happened at Le Mans, at high speed I lost the front, and it happened again here. Just entered a little bit more to the inside, I touched the white line and the front closed.
"To avoid the crash I had to reduce the speed. Valentino didn't expect this lack of speed in that corner and he hit me on behind.
"[I was] very lucky, [it was a] very scary moment because if it had been a crash with all the group behind, it could be very dangerous. I was lucky not to crash."
Rossi, who also had a run-in with the second factory Ducati of Andrea Dovizioso, added: "At the beginning we were very lucky, me and Lorenzo, because Lorenzo cut too much and lost the front.
"I arrived with a lot more speed and I [hit] him. But we were very lucky because I [hit] him perfect, so we didn't crash."
Valentino Rossi: Andrea Dovizioso's Assen MotoGP move 'not clever'
Marquez: Pedrosa's Honda MotoGP woes stem from lack of motivation
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
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