---
title: "Tyre error costs Lorenzo on Friday"
canonical: "https://readmotorsport.com/2017/04/07/tyre-error-costs-lorenzo-friday/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Lewis Duncan"
section: "MotoGP News"
published: "2017-04-07T20:32:34Z"
modified: "2017-04-07T20:33:05Z"
---

# Tyre error costs Lorenzo on Friday

Ducati’s Jorge Lorenzo has admitted an error with front tyre selection for his final run in second free practice was to blame for his lowly position on the combined timesheets.

The Spanish rider came to Argentina with the hope of turning over a new leaf following a difficult start to life with Ducati two weeks ago in Qatar. In the 20-lap desert scrap, Lorenzo finished 20 seconds adrift in 11th.

![Mirco Lazzari gp/Getty Images Sport](https://media.readmotorsport.com/readmotorsport/2017/04/665836180.jpg)

Friday began fairly sluggishly, Lorenzo ending FP1 in 15th and almost a second off the pace. Languishing well outside of the top 10 as FP2 drew to a close, Lorenzo had hoped a switch to the medium front tyre would aid him in his time attack.

However, unbeknownst to him, his mechanics fitted a soft front, a compound the conditions at the time did not suit. This left him down in 18th spot on a 1m40.599s, 1.1s off of Yamaha replacement Maverick Vinales’ time.

“We made a mistake on planning with the tyres,” [Lorenzo said trackside following FP2 to Autosport.com](https://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/128843/lorenzo-laments-practice-planning-error).

“(We fitted) the softer one when the conditions were not for the soft. I didn’t know, I though I had the medium.

“I didn’t understand why the front was closing so much, but then after practice I understood that we made a mistake.”

![Mirco Lazzari gp/Getty Images Sport](https://media.readmotorsport.com/readmotorsport/2017/04/665828398.jpg)

Lorenzo admits his pace was not good enough for the top five, but certainly nearer to the top half of the field than his FP2 time suggests.

Team-mate Andrea Dovizioso struggled this afternoon with an unidentified technical issue, and heads into Saturday’s running 14th on the combined times.

With rain predicted, the factory Ducati duo, along with the likes of Honda’s Dani Pedrosa and Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi, could well face the first part of qualifying tomorrow.

Rather embarrassingly for the factory team, all but two of the satellite Ducati outfits made it into the top 10, with the two-year-old GP15-mounted Karel Abraham leading the Bologna charge in third spot.

![Mirco Lazzari gp/Getty Images Sport](https://media.readmotorsport.com/readmotorsport/2017/04/665883866.jpg)

Despite Friday not turning out to be the ideal start to proceedings for Lorenzo, he feels he did make small steps forward with his Desmosedici and reckons Sunday should go well if the weather plays ball.

“If it’s dry, we can make a good race I think. Let’s see if we can make qualifying in the dry and we will be much further forward.

“I’m optimistic because I found some good feelings on some exits. Let’s see if tomorrow we can make another step forward, and for sure be much more explosive with the right front tyre, pushing to make one fast lap.”