Lorenzo "really needs" new Ducati aero fairing
Jorge Lorenzo says he “really needs” his Ducati MotoGP team to come up with an aero fairing that works well with the 2018 version of its Desmosedici bike.
The aero package brought by Ducati to Brno last year was a major factor in Lorenzo's progress in his first season with the Italian marque, but an “evolution” of the concept for 2018 has not gelled with the new GP18.
“We make an evolution from the winglets from last year, and this new evolution, when we tried it in Buriram [testing], with the new bike, it didn't work in the corners,” Lorenzo explained in Argentina.
“Some strange things in the middle of the corner that didn't work. We discover that in Qatar, and for the moment the best mix is without winglets.”
After using the standard, wingless fairing in the Qatar opener, Lorenzo switched to the 2017 "evolution" aero fairing on race day in Argentina.
But the Spaniard has pinned his hopes on the new version in development at Ducati, which he said he would like to have homologated in time for the next round in Austin this weekend.
“We could not put in the rules, for the moment, we hope to make it in Austin,” Lorenzo said.
“For the moment to have just two options for the rules is not the best for us, to be able to be free to try many things. So for the moment the best combination has been without winglets.
"But I really I think, I believe I really need the winglets for this bike to feel better with the front. Let's hope to have [them] as soon as possible.”
Lorenzo has endured a torrid MotoGP season so far, crashing out of 10th due to a brake failure in Qatar before missing out on Q2 and finishing a lowly 15th in Argentina.
“I need more feeling, more stability on the bike, and to have confidence, to open the throttle full as soon as possible, to enter the corners with confidence with downforce,” he said.
“Let's hope to have this possibility for me as soon as possible.”
Asked whether electronics would be key to satisfying those demands, he said: “Yeah, for the moment, because we cannot change the engine and the chassis is the chassis that we have.
“So we can just improve the electronics, understanding what is the best way for me - I have some idea about that - and to be able to use the winglets.”
Additional reporting by Federico Faturos
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