A decent machine and a run of good luck are all that's needed, says Rossi's team-mate
JORGE LORENZO has said that he thinks he can beat his 2008 MotoGP fourth place overall place in the coming season, but has warned that the reduced practice times on track will favour the Ducati's Casey Stoner.
The high-flying Spaniard, whose premier season in the MotoGP class last year was blighted by a series of massive crashes that left him with shattered heels said that the key to a successful year will be to make sure he doesn't repeat his time in the medical season
He said: "If I can stay injury-free and don’t have bad luck, and if the bike goes well, then I can aspire to win races this season – more than just the one. We have to have the mentality of always trying to improve upon the results of the previous season, and it would be ideal to finish higher than fourth in the standings.
“The press have Rossi, Stoner and Pedrosa as the favourites, and I think that they should be looking at the title. They have ridden in more campaigns than I have and finished ahead of me last year, so they have the most possibility of taking the crown.
“Stoner might have an advantage with the new reduced practice time, because he is always fast straight away whilst the rest of us need a little bit of time.
“I don’t think that he is injured in a way that is apparent when he is riding. Pedrosa’s condition will be more unpredictable, and we will see what happens in Qatar. Beating Stoner in Qatar will definitely be difficult, but last year I was in worse shape physically and was close to beating him, so we’ll be optimistic.”
