Lorenzo facing six week recovery as Honda speculation grows
Added on Tuesday, July 7th, 2009 by Carole Nash Editor
Lorenzo facing six week recovery as Honda speculation grows
Jorge Lorenzo is facing recovery time of up to six weeks following his crash during qualifying at Laguna Seca on Saturday but is fully expected race at Sachsenring and Donington Park.
The Spaniard dislocated a collar bone just one lap after clocking the pole-setting lap time for the US Grand Prix and was clearly struggling with the pain as he raced just 24 hours later, despite finishing third behind race winner Dani Pedrosa and teammate Valentino Rossi.
Lorenzo even struggled with the champagne bottle during the post-race celebrations and Lorenzo himself admitted that he thought the worst after the incident, even though he passed a late fitness test.
“When I crashed yesterday, I thought that it was all over for the weekend,” admitted Lorenzo after stepping onto the podium.
“Thanks to the work done by the doctors I was able to race, and we did well. Finishing the race was a happy ending for us.
“I could have taken second place, but made a mistake when overtaking Valentino on the last corner. However, third place isn’t something to be sad about here; it’s something to be happy about.”
Lorenzo will undergo further tests in Barcelona this week but it is expected to be between five and six weeks before he returns to full fitness.
“I’ve been told by the doctors that the tendon injury in the collarbone will take five to six weeks to heal, if everything passes without problems. We are going to try our best to be back in much better shape for Sachsenring.”
Meanwhile, speculation over Lorenzo’s future is gathering pace, with Yamaha manager Masao Furusawa declaring that he would not be drawn into a bidding war with Honda in order to keep the 22-year-old.
“We are interested in Jorge,” Furusawa told Gazzetta dello Sport. “We are in talks but we know about Honda’s offer: if he wants to go with them, we won’t be raising our stakes in order to retain him.”
