Lorenzo out to make amends

Having fallen from the lead on the opening lap of the Qatar MotoGP season opener, Jorge Lorenzo is out to make amends in Austin this weekend.

Lorenzo had struggled with the stiffer heat resistant 2014 rear tyres during pre-season testing and much of the Qatar weekend, but clawed his way to fifth in qualifying then third in morning warm-up before his early race exit.

It was the Movistar Yamaha's first race mistake since Valencia 2012 and has left Lorenzo 25 points behind Repsol Honda's reigning champion Marc Marquez and 20 points adrift of team-mate Valentino Rossi.

"After a very disappointing race result in Qatar I look forward to racing at Austin to try to get a good result and forget as soon as possible all the things that happened in Losail," said Lorenzo, third behind the Repsol Hondas in last year's inaugural Austin round.

"COTA track was not one of the best tracks for us last year. We had some difficulties to adapt our bike to the layout and lack of grip but finally we found out how to manage for the race. In the end we got a good result and we finished only three seconds behind the winner.

"I guess this year the pace could be even better because our bike has made one step ahead with the new seamless and the chassis is pretty good. Also, I feel almost perfect, physically at one hundred per cent and that is so important to try to fight for the victory elsewhere."

"After a less than ideal beginning in Qatar, we know that Jorge will be a key protagonist, treating this weekend as his first race of the 2014 season!" declared team director Massimo Meregalli.