Le Mans - World champion and 2011 series leader Jorge Lorenzo will be hoping to enjoy a belated birthday present by clinching a third successive French Grand Prix triumph on Sunday.The Spaniard, who turned 24 just last week, has a Jerez win as well as podium places at Qatar and Estoril under his belt this season and leads compatriot Dani Pedrosa by four points ahead of the Le Mans clash.
“It’s a track that is normally good for the Yamaha but we will see what happens this year because the competitors are really strong, they have improved their bikes a lot,” said Lorenzo, who is set to make his 150th GP start over the weekend.
“I love the track, it’s very flat and has a lot of chicanes, which is one of my specialties.
“The circumstances can change a lot so we start here with an open mentality, hope and with a lot of excitement.”
Honda rider Pedrosa, who won in Estoril just a month after undergoing shoulder surgery, said his physical condition is improving.
“I hope I can do well here because I will ride with some pain still, but I think there is nothing abnormal about this after having surgery and rehabilitation,” Pedrosa said.
Meanwhile, Valentino Rossi, who has three premier-class wins at the French track, is desperate to improve on a best finish of fifth place so far this season in his debut campaign with Ducati.
But the seven-time world champion is wary of making a confident prediction on a machine that has been off the pace of its rivals this year.
“The distance from the top remains too big but we will see this weekend,” the Italian said.
“The track is not one of my favorites, because it’s very difficult and has a lot of hard-braking, chicanes, but I’ve had some good results here in the past.
“The Yamaha is always good here, but the Ducati was too with Casey Stoner so we have to be strong enough.”
Agence France-Presse
Source: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com