Jorge Lorenzo has his sights set firmly on his eighth podium of the season during this weekend's ninth round in Germany, despite continued pain from his injured foot and shoulder.
Lorenzo delivered a stunning performance last time out at Laguna Seca, catching and attempting to pass team-mate and title leader Valentino Rossi for second place late in the race - despite sustaining a separated shoulder and a badly bruised foot in a huge qualifying fall.
The overtake went wrong, but Lorenzo recovered to finish a close third, just 1.5sec from Rossi and within two seconds of race winner Dani Pedrosa. That brave ride kept his championship chances well and truly alive, and he will start this weekend's Sachsenring event just nine points behind reigning six time MotoGP champion Rossi.
A week of rest at home in Barcelona has put the 22-year-old Fiat Yamaha star in better shape and, while he does not expect to be back to full fitness this weekend, he is confident that he will once again play a major part.
“Following my injuries in Laguna Seca, I am feeling a lot better after a week of rest but I won't be at 100% this weekend; I have some pain in my foot when walking and also in my shoulder joint, so the first thing I will do when I get to Sachsenring is go to the Clinica Mobile!” he confirmed. “My aim as ever this weekend is to be on the podium and to try to get as many points as possible compared to the rivals that are in front of me.”
Last year Lorenzo slid out early on in the rain-struck race and with only one previous podium at the Sachsenring to his name, he is looking to improve his German record this weekend.
“Germany is one of the circuits where I've never done particularly well, in fact I've only had one podium there, in 2006 when I was third in 250cc,” said the #99. “Last year it rained a lot and unfortunately I fell on the third lap, so it wasn't a weekend to remember but I hope this one will be very different.”
Team manager Daniele Romagnoli, absent from the garage at Laguna Seca, will be back in Lorenzo's corner this weekend – and also has high expectations.
“We're happy to report that Jorge's condition is a lot better after a week of rest. He won't be in perfect condition but he will be a lot stronger and therefore able to push harder on the bike this weekend than he could in Laguna,” he said.
“In America Jorge showed once again that he has a great determination to achieve his potential whatever condition he is in and so we hope that in Germany we can be in good shape once again, be at the front and fight for the podium. We need to try to recover some points as we look to the summer break.”
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