MotoGP Mugello: Jorge Lorenzo feels Marc Marquez had more top speed
Jorge Lorenzo believes he would have beaten Marc Marquez to victory in MotoGP's Italian Grand Prix if his Yamaha had just a little more straightline speed
Lorenzo came very close to inflicting Marquez's first defeat of 2014 at Mugello, as they before the Honda rider secured the win by just 0.121 seconds.
Although Marquez was able to secure a sixth consecutive triumph, Lorenzo believes he was the faster man on Sunday and only lost out because the Honda was able to pass him on the main straight.
"The only thing was probably the top speed," said Lorenzo.
"Maybe with higher top speed I could've got away. I think I was a little bit faster than Marc this time, but he could follow me when I was pushing.
"When he passed me, it seemed he was a little bit slower. But on top speed he gained a lot of metres."
Marquez said after the race that Honda's gear ratio choice for Mugello had been slanted towards helping him slipstream for overtaking moves into the first corner.
While Lorenzo feels Yamaha still lacks straightline pace, he reckons the team has made big strides in closing on Honda for braking performance.
"We've made some modifications to the bike that improved the braking so much," he said.
"I couldn't fight with Marc in all the braking points, but maybe 60 per cent of them - much more than last year.
"Last year it was very difficult for me to fight with Marc. I couldn't pass him under braking, but had more corner speed.
"I had to try to see all the little areas where he opened his line.
"Now finally I feel stronger on braking. We still have more margin to improve, but if we can do it, we can fight with him on the brakes.
"I want to congratulate Yamaha for the effort they are making. It has been hard, but finally it seems we've found something."
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