Birthday boy Lorenzo fifth in FP2 and looking to improve rear grip

Yamaha Factory Racing rider Jorge Lorenzo decided to sit out the morning session of the Portuguese Grand Prix, with little valuable data to be gained from the mixed track conditions. The afternoon session saw him hunting a setup to provide more rear grip for his YZR-M1, eventually settling for fifth in the timesheets. The team will look to find a solution tomorrow to be ready for qualifying. Today marks not only Lorenzo’s 25th birthday but also the ten-year anniversary to his first GP session at the Jerez circuit.

Jorge Lorenzo Position : 5th Time: 1’38.930 Laps: 16
“Today was so-so because we didn’t find a good set up or a good feeling with the bike. Also the new asphalt is not the best, I think it’s worse than last year in some places and also the weather doesn’t help with some wet patches in corners. I expect a lot of things to improve tomorrow, especially the rear of the bike which is not right in some corners.”

Wilco Zeelenberg Team Manager
“This afternoon was the first free practice for us as we sat out the morning due to the weather conditions. We’re not perfect yet; we’re missing some rear grip, especially in corner entry so we need to find it for tomorrow. We’re confident we will and will be ready for qualifying.”

Source: Yamaha Racing