Jorge Lorenzo insists he is “closer than ever” to making a breakthrough with his Honda MotoGP bike, despite being “frustrated and disappointed” at qualifying 11th at Jerez.
The three-time MotoGP champion, who counts Jerez among his stronger tracks on the calendar, narrowly advanced to Q2 directly from practice but crashed on his decisive qualifying run.
He fell off at Turn 2 and, with no time left to return to the pits and grab his second bike, was consigned to a starting spot in the middle of the fourth row.
But he said he had felt more in tune with the RC213V compared to a disappointing Friday showing.
“Probably the grip of the track [due to colder temperatures] helped me to feel better – but every time I’m discovering little things that give me the possibility to ride the bike better,” said Lorenzo, who has yet to finish higher than 12th with Honda.
“So when you ride the bike better, more smooth and more confident, finally the results will come.
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“We just need to keep going and keep working. We are closer, we are closer than ever I think.”
Asked what would have been possible in qualifying without the crash, he said: “We will never know, but probably a third row, one row more, maximum second row, not more.
“Still today I wasn’t prepared for fighting for pole position or the first row – we still miss something – but apart from the result that is not good I am, not happy, but satisfied about some progression that I feel.
“I’m starting to ride a little bit more fluid with the bike and better. I start to understand certain things that will help me in the future.
“I’m frustrated and disappointed because something always happens – not something big, but some small details that stop us making the next step.”
Lorenzo’s team-mate Marc Marquez made up the front row behind the two Petronas Yamaha bikes of Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli.
Marquez admitted that he had been concerned about his chances heading into qualifying, which prompted him to make three runs in Q2.
“Today honestly I was a little bit afraid on the qualy because when it’s cloudy this track is easier to be faster,” Marquez explained.
“If tomorrow it’s warmer then everything becomes more difficult.
“But I knew that a few riders with the soft rear tyre were really fast. For that reason I tried to use three [soft rear] tyres, but with the last one the front was too used.
“Apart from that I’m happy, we achieved our goal, that was the front row because here it was difficult to overtake.
“I didn’t expect honestly to have these two riders ahead of me, but they did incredible lap times.”