Fiat Yamaha Team rider Jorge Lorenzo made his competitive debut at Laguna Seca today on the first day of practice for the US Grand Prix, finishing 13th in the combined standings. The 21-year-old visited the track as a commentator for last year’s race but this was his first time on a bike around the famous California circuit.
Lorenzo has been looking forward to riding here all season and he spent this morning’s session familiarising himself with the nuances of the 3.610 km track, especially the famous corkscrew at turn eight. This afternoon he felt confident enough to begin working on bike set-up and he improved his time by nearly a second. He is still lacking some rear grip however and will be looking to make significant strides with this tomorrow. Lorenzo’s team-mate Valentino Rossi was third fastest today, behind Casey Stoner and Nicky Hayden.
Jorge Lorenzo Position: 13th
Time: 1'23.415
Laps: 63
“The first laps here in Laguna Seca this morning were incredible for me and I had great fun learning the track. On my first lap I was very lucky at the Corkscrew because Nicky Hayden was in front and he knows this track very well, so I followed him and I came out alive! It’s very different to anywhere else we go and very complicated, so I am trying to take it gently until I am sure of my lines. For me the hardest part is the first corner, but I felt better about it this afternoon. I had some problems with my rear tyre, we don’t have enough grip, and I also need more confidence in the front of the bike. I think I need to do some more laps here in order to have more feeling and knowledge about the track and the right lines. I’ve been looking at the Superbike times and they’re doing almost the same times as me , so I know I have some work to do. We have some issues but we’re working hard towards being faster tomorrow. I’ve enjoyed my first day here.”
Daniele Romagnoli - Team Manager “The number one priority of today was for Jorge to learn the track, so we did quite long runs in order to improve his understanding of the lines and the braking points. In general he understood quite quickly and it seems he’s enjoying riding here at Laguna Seca. We still have some rear grip issues to address, especially on the entry into turns, and we will concentrate on this tomorrow and try out some different solutions for our bike.”
Ambient temperature: 22 degrees
Track temperature: 30 degrees
Humidity: 42%
Combined Free Practice Times1. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati Marlboro 1'21.826
2. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda 1'22.634
3. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Fiat Yamaha Team 1'22.679
4. Alex De Angelis (RSM) San Carlo Honda Gresini 1'22.808
5. Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Rizla Suzuki 1'22.847
6. Shinya Nakano (JPN) San Carlo Honda Gresini 1'22.924
7. Colin Edwards (USA) Tech 3 Yamaha '23.077
8. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) JiR Team Scot MotoGP 1'23.097
9. Toni Elias (SPA) Alice Team 1'23.114
10. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1'23.185
11. Ben Spies (USA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1'23.244
12. Marco Melandri (ITA) Ducati Marlboro 1'23.317
13. Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) Fiat Yamaha Team 1'23.415 14. Sylvain Guintoli (FRA) Alice Team 1'23.495
15. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda 1'23.707
16. James Toseland (GBR) Tech 3 Yamaha 1'23.943
17. Randy De Puniet (FRA) LCR Honda MotoGP 1'23.955
18. Jamie Hacking (USA) Kawasaki Racing Team 1'24.050
19. Anthony West (AUS) Kawasaki Racing 1'24.483
Laguna Seca Record Lap: C. Stoner (Ducati) 2007, 1'22.542
Best Lap: C. Stoner (Ducati) 2007, 1'21.975
