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Photos: 2015 MotoGP Preview - Jorge Lorenzo

A recap of Jorge Lorenzo's 2015 pre-season test progress

March 20, 2015

Yamaha did not have the "real" 2015 M1 ready for the first Sepang test. In fact, the bike on hand could be better described as an evolution of the very competitive 2014 bike of the second half of the season.

There was, however, an update for the electronic management at the Sepang test, and both Lorenzo and Rossi tested different swingarms and numerous other components we surely don’t know about.

Yamaha hoped to narrow the gap between it and Honda at the second Sepang test with its the new seamless gearbox, which now works while downshifting as well, to further stabilize the M1.

Reports from the factory say that in the bench tests, the new seamless transmission cut an average of 2.2 seconds off last year’s overall race time.

Following the second Sepang test, Lorenzo said that, "I've posted my personal best lap in Sepang despite a more slippery track surface, so I'm satisfied. At the moment, I think Honda has an advantage on some tracks and Yamaha on others. This is already a step forward. Last year, it was hard to think of a track where the M1 was the overwhelming favorite.”

Lorenzo says that, "To finish regularly in top 3 is the goal in the first part of the season. Things then may happen differently, but I can say that it looks much better than in 2014. To be up there every Sunday is what guarantees a ticket on the train for the title fight."

Lorenzo was curiously absent from the top 5 during the first day of the pre-season Qatar test, finishing the day in 6th position.

The two-time MotoGP World Champion's main complaint after day one of the Qatar test was a lack of grip, especially in the rear.

Lorenzo, who is going on his eighth year with Yamaha, ended the final 2015 pre-season test in fourth position, behind a pair of Ducatis and Marc Marquez, or a little over 0.5 seconds behind Andrea Dovizioso.

When asked about how he felt about the test, Lorenzo said that, "The conditions of the track improved [on Day 2], though not a lot. We tried many things, but despite the fact that we improved the feeling with the bike a little, we are still far from the fastest time."

Jorge entered the 2014 season in poor physical shape after "extending his holidays," but says that he learned from his mistake and is ready for 2015. "I am as fit and slim as I was when I arrived in MotoGP in 2008," the Spaniard says.

Lorenzo also expects that this lesson will help him start the 2015 championship in a completely different situation compared to 2014, when he basically parked his aspirations in the first four races. “Last year I finished the season very strong. From Sachsenring until the end I was the rider who scored more points, but even so I finished third in the championship”.

In preparation for the start of the 2015 MotoGP season, Sport Rider is taking a closer look at a few of the top riders from pre-season testing, plus a MotoGP rookie following in Casey Stoner’s footsteps.

Here’s a closer look at how Jorge Lorenzo’s pre-season testing went, with quotes and lap time info all wrapped up in an oversized batch of photos from Sepang and Qatar, site of the official MotoGP pre-season tests. Flip through the gallery above to check them all out and also read about Lorenzo's expectations for 2015.

Tune in tomorrow for a look at Andrea Dovizioso’s pre-season test program.