Jorge Lorenzo found his first taste of
MotoGP night riding a lonely experience - but that didn't stop the class rookie being an impressive second fastest, behind only world champion
Casey Stoner.
Thursday saw the new Losail lighting system face its first true test and Lorenzo, like much of the full 18-rider field in attendance for the two-day test, had few complaints as the Spaniard put his Fiat Yamaha 0.689secs behind a dominant Stoner - making him the top Michelin rider.
"On this first night of testing in Qatar I was more curious to see how it was riding at night than anything else!" said Jorge. "I am happy with this idea and honestly speaking I felt I immediately got used to the conditions. Of course at the beginning it feels a bit strange but after few laps things become quite normal and your eyes get used to the new light.
"The strangest feeling I had was that I felt... lonely!" he revealed. "Riding in the night, although the light is very strong, makes you feel alone with your bike, so you must keep the concentration very high because of course you are not alone!
"The right lines do not change because of the light, only when braking do you see your shadow getting closer, and that's why you always must be alert, in order not to get confused with the shadow of another rider! As far as our performance is concerned, my time was very good today but I think with some more work we can be faster still.
"Tomorrow, when I am more used to the new light, the track and to the cold temperatures, we will try to do even better," he concluded.
Lorenzo has suffered front-end problems during the last two test sessions - something Yamaha engineering manager Masao Furusawa recently told
Crash.net is related to the Spaniard's preferred riding position, which Lorenzo changed slightly at Qatar.
