Ducati MotoGP new boy Jorge Lorenzo expressed surprise to be so far off the pace on day one of testing at Sepang but qualified that by saying he now knows the Desmosedici needs a different riding style to the one he developed with Yamaha’s R1.
Lorenzo was almost 1.7s slower than fastest man and Ducati test rider Casey Stoner and says he has to change a lot, particularly under braking where he has to brake a lot later and not carry so much of his trademark corner speed.
"In Valencia everything was easier, because I rode more or less the way that I've ridden for the past nine years and the times were there," said Lorenzo, speaking at the track.
"Here, however, riding the same way it was much harder to go quick, so I'm understanding that it's a bike that requires a pretty different riding style than what I'm used to.
"I set my time with a used tyre and when it was too hot, so I think I could have improved a few tenths. But there's a long way to go, especially under braking.
"I'm used to braking a lot earlier and I'm losing a lot under braking. This bike is basically ridden the opposite way, so until I learn how to extract the best from the bike it will be hard to be among the quickest."
