Lorenzo misses 'train','two corners costing us'

Despite qualifying just 0.376s from pole, Jorge Lorenzo will need to overtake at least nine riders to claim a third Ducati victory in a row during Sunday's Dutch MotoGP.

The Spaniard, like Johann Zarco, missed out on a train of riders towing each other around the famous Assen circuit, at the end of qualifying.

Zarco went on to drop from pole to eighth and Lorenzo from second to tenth on the grid, the triple MotoGP champion also losing ground through the ultra-fast left handers at the end of the lap.

"I think Zarco was the only one, together with me, who was alone," Lorenzo said.

"I think it was just Iannone that was following me and took profit from my slipstream. The rest of the riders were together like a train.

"Every rider was, let's say, the perfect space apart. Not too close to lose time and not too far not to take profit. They were the perfect distance to be as fast as possible.

"It was a strange situation, a strange qualifying. Everyone took profit of this little advantage, that gave you two-four tenths of extra speed. And the ones who were alone like Zarco and myself were eighth and tenth. 

"Anyway, if I wouldn't lose so much time in the last sector then - even without any rider in front - I could be on the first row anyway. 

"But unfortunately, for the moment, in sector four I always lose two to four tenths.

"Let's try to modify the bike in warm-up to give me more confidence in those particular two corners, which are the fast lefts before the last chicane.

"But this is it. These two corners today cost us the chance to be much more in front."

Lorenzo has used a soft rear tyre during his back-to-back wins at Mugello and Catalunya. He again ran (used) soft rears in final practice, but was only tenth quickest and admitted:

"To be honest FP4 was not a good practice. We were with the soft rear, very old tyres and we were very slow and with a lot of problems with the wind. Maybe a little bit more than the other bikes. 

"In qualifying the wind reduced a little bit so this was good and with both tyres I was pretty quick. We improved the bike compared to yesterday."

Looking ahead to the race, again set to be held in unusually stable hot and sunny weather, Lorenzo said:

"I think it's complicated to start so far behind, because this track is quite narrow and difficult to overtake. So to be in first or second row would be much better. 

"The good thing is that I've been making good starts this weekend, so if tomorrow I can do the same I can overtake probable one row. 

"But it will be for me a race to have basically the first two laps and then see how the tyres are reacting, during all the race. It can also be a race of some crashes so we need to be careful, especially with the front tyre."

Lorenzo is currently tied for seventh in the world championship with team-mate Andrea Dovizioso, 49 points behind Marc Marquez.

Marquez has qualified on pole for the first time this year while Dovizioso starts from fourth on the grid.

The #99 looks to have a more refined version of the modified fuel tank shape (see below), which has proven so effective in keeping his braking strength for a full race distance.