Jorge Lorenzo is having a difficult time with Repsol Honda. Besides being difficult to adapt to the RC213V, he is also experiencing a severe spinal cord injury. Even so, the former MotoGP rider and racing observer Alex Hofmann did not believe he would retire early.
Since joining Honda, Lorenzo has not been able to penetrate the top 10. At the beginning of this season he was also hit by various injuries and technical problems. Recently, he even had a great accident at the MotoGP Assen training session in the Netherlands.
Lorenzo was dazed and felt pain in his back, until he was finally rushed to the hospital. He was declared to have fractured the T6 and T8 spine. As a result, he must miss the rest of the racing week, as well as at Sachsenring, Germany.
"It has been estimated from the start that with Honda he will not be competitive, especially he underwent two tough years on Ducati. I hope in the two years he has learned how to adapt quickly,"
Not only that, Repsol Honda even stated Lorenzo will be back absent from the Czech MotoGP on August 2-4 and Austria on August 9-11. "People don't think this will happen to five times world champions like him. This really surprised me," Hofmann said.
On the other hand, Hofmann believes Por Fuera will not be reckless in making decisions to retire due to these bad times, as has been reported by many European mass media during the German MotoGP racing week.
"I think he has pride in himself, and wants to prove, however, he can look good with Honda, like he did with Ducati," said Hofmann, who is the former KTM MotoGP rider.
Hofmann also believes Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) will not break Lorenzo's contract at the end of the season, as well as news circulating at the Sachsenring. This German man believes Honda will still respect their contract with Lorenzo.
"The advantage of Jorge at the moment is that he still has a contract with Honda for next year. Honda will also obey the contract and it will not be decided, no matter whether they are satisfied or not in Lorenzo's performance for two seasons," he concluded.
Repsol Honda stated that Lorenzo will return to the track in the British MotoGP race at Silverstone Circuit on 23-25 August. During the absence, he will be replaced temporarily by HRC test rider, Stefan Bradl.