Lack of rear grip holds back Lorenzo

Track conditions and a lack of rear grip hurt Jorge Lorenzo yesterday in Qatar with the Yamaha rider only able to set the sixth fastest time of the opening night.

The dusty track surface is always a challenge for riders when running begins but Lorenzo also commented that it was very difficult to use the kerbs because of the lack of grip on the painted surfaces. When this was combined with a lack of rear grip it was clear just how big a challenge Lorenzo felt during the session.

"Today has been a difficult day," conceded Lorenzo. "Everyone has been a little bit slower than last year and for everyone the track looks a little bit more slippery. For example it's much more difficult to use the kerbs because it's slippery and in general entering the corner with the rear tyre I don't have the confidence to go quicker yet so that's the main target for tomorrow to try and be faster in general."