Lorenzo: Joining Repsol Honda means a different level

Jorge Lorenzo has described the pressure and team effort provided by Repsol Honda is at “a different level” compared to his former MotoGP teams as he reveals more details on his recent scaphoid injury.

Lorenzo made headlines last year by replacing Dani Pedrosa at Repsol Honda after being axed by Ducati to setup a switch to a third factory MotoGP squad in his career. The Spaniard says he “couldn’t say no” to Honda’s call but accepts his new role comes with additional pressure racing for the reigning world champions and alongside new team-mate Marc Marquez.

Speaking during the Repsol Honda team launch, the five-time world champion feels the team’s efforts are “a new level” compared to his previous experiences at Yamaha and Ducati just from his initial winter tests last November at Valencia and Jerez.

“To sum it up it is a different level. A new level,” Lorenzo said. “I believe I have been lucky at other teams with other teams and other wins but to come to this Repsol Honda team is a new level in every sense.

“You can see it in the presentation with the amount of journalists and media we have here and the expectations. When we talk about the technical aspect from Valencia and Jerez I saw so many people in the box listening to what I had to say about the motorbike and the same details. The precision of every single part of the motorcycle and the quality here is a different level.

“That is one of the dreams for any rider to be in this team. I have come here a bit late as I am 31-years-old but I am already mature enough to take advantage of all of these experiences.”

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Lorenzo will miss the Sepang pre-season test following his scaphoid surgery, having broken the bone while training last Saturday, but is targeting a return to action at the Qatar test (February 23-25).

The Spaniard also revealed he wasn’t fully fit during his test debut with Honda last November, still feeling the effects of a toe and left wrist injury sustained towards the end of the 2018 MotoGP campaign, but his initial feelings with the RCV213V remain positive.

“It is still early because I wasn’t at 100% as I had problems with my foot and my left wrist because of the injuries from Aragon and Thailand,” he said. “I couldn’t ride as I wanted to but I could say I was at 80% and I was fast enough.

“I think I was fourth quickest once. I really liked the bike from the first day in Valencia as it is very agile and turns very well. Obviously there is no a perfect motorbike but in general I really like the team and they were very warm to me.”

Pressed on his targets for 2019, Lorenzo preferred to focus on his immediate priority of returning to full fitness before he can provide Repsol Honda with “the dream team” next to Marquez.

“First of all to recover, that would be my first wish,” he said. “Then for everything to go well and for us to be able to show the dream team that we were talking about and show it on the tarmac.”