By David Emmett
The final MotoGP round of the 2009 season may not yet be over, yet the jockeying for position in contract negotiations for the 2011 season has already begun. After Yamaha expressed the hope that Valentino Rossi would end his career with the Japanese firm, today it was the turn of Jorge Lorenzo to express the same desire.
Speaking at the launch of the game Forza Motorsport 3 at the Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona, Lorenzo told the Spanish press agency Europa Press that he "hoped to spend the rest of his career with Yamaha." He was quick to point out that there was no guarantee that he actually would, though. "In a world [MotoGP] which changes all the time, you can't be certain of anything," Lorenzo said.
He also went over how he saw the season so far with the press agency, telling Europa Press that he had been pleased with the progress he had booked this season. "We improved a lot this season, and that's my goal every season, to improve on the year before," Lorenzo said. The biggest improvement had come in his consistency, he said. He had been pleased that he had managed to be at the front at every race, in contention for victory. His downfall, Lorenzo admitted, had been crashing. "If there's one 'but', it's been the crashes, but you always have something you think you could have done better."
Lorenzo's objective remains to become World Champion, a goal which he said he was always working towards. It would not be easy, though, Lorenzo admitted. "I can't guarantee that I will succeed, because there are always unknown factors in sports," Lorenzo told Europa Press. Some of those factors are not so unknown: Lorenzo acknowledged that his biggest obstacle was his team mate, Valentino Rossi. "He is the most complete rider, and he has the most experience. But you shouldn't forget Stoner or Pedrosa either," Lorenzo said.
Radio Irish Road Racers