Reigning MotoGP World Champion Jorge Lorenzo got his title defence off the best possible start at Qatar today, dominating the opening free practice session and ending almost three-tenths quicker than Movistar Yamaha team-mate Valentino Rossi in second.
Lorenzo put in a couple of laps in the middle of the session to lay down a marker and then went out with Michelin’s medium tyres front and rear, putting in a final time of 1’55.440 but that was six-tenths off the fastest he set on the last day of testing in the desert.
“We started dominating the first practice a little bit from the first run. We tried the medium front tyre at the end of the session which will probably be a good option for the race. We are still a little far from the laptime I made in the test, so we have margin for improvement.
“The track conditiions were similar to the test two weeks ago. We will keep working on the setting and the electronics to improve in some areas for tomorrow. The track will also be better with more grip level and the lap times will be faster."
