Jorge Lorenzo, the reigning world champ, suffered a huge high side crash in the morning’s practice session; when he neglected to downshift after a practice start, the Yamaha’s traction control did not engage as it is designed to do after an actual race send the riders into the first turn. He accelerated out of turn five without the computer aid and flashed back to when premiere class motorcycles were actually trying to kill those brave enough to ride them. The rear wheel spun, gripped suddenly, and flipped the rider into the air. (Here is a link to the video, at least until it’s removed.) Lorenzo landed hard and his right thigh took a good whack. We all wondered how this would affect his ability to qualify in the afternoon.
In typical fashion for the MotoGP paddock, a minor frenzy broke out when the text messages started circulating that Lorenzo would speak to the media outside the medical center. I took off in search of same, not having seen it so far this weekend. I went in the direction indicated earlier in the weekend when I’d chatted with some friends who work at the Clinica Mobile (the mobile hospital that attends each race to treat the riders) but I could not find the location. At European races they are always in the same, easily identified truck/building, but that rig stays home for the flyaway races so I had almost no idea where Lorenzo would be.
As I looked and looked, I saw Hector Martin, Lorenzo’s valet, moving quickly and fell in behind him, asking where Jorge was. Hector was harried and not quite his usual polite self, with greater things on his mind, understandably. But he did manage a small nod to follow along, which I did. First we went to Yamaha to let their marketing people know that Jorge was in his motorhome now and would appear there instead of the medical center. Then we walked back to the row of rider lodgings behind the temporary team buildings where a crew from one of the Spanish TV stations was waiting. Moments later more journalists arrived, and in minutes there was a crowd waiting for Jorge to emerge.
When he did he was in good spirits, as ever soaking up the media attention. He still had a bandage on his right thigh which I assumed had held an ice pack in place until very recently. We waited for the live broadcast to begin and take place and I tried to understand the lispy Spanish, feeling like that dog in the old RCA Victor ads. Lorenzo then took a few questions in English before disappearing back into his sanctuary.
He returned in the afternoon to the pit box, having to limp painfully to the bike in a manner reminiscent of Rossi’s crutch assisted effort from chair to saddle last year. (Rossi had broken his legs a few rounds before at Mugello) Lorenzo dominated qualifying and claimed pole position, in the process putting in more race pace laps than anyone else and making it clear that he is the man to beat this weekend. Taking it to the Hondas is an accomplishment in itself, but doing so being banged up and stiff at the same time is quite remarkable.
