Vo Knows

I must say, I’m pretty impressed with Fiat Yamaha MotoGP star Jorge Lorenzo thus far in ’09 – this despite the fact I’m not much of a fan of his. The kid currently sits on pole for the Cataluyna GP and has shown he can log wins and pole positions in both the wet and dry this year already. The question is, can he take the pressure and keep it going? Is he really a title contender?

Lorenzo started strong last season, his rookie year in the premiere class, taking the first three pole positions and even winning a race right out of the gate. But some big crashes mid-season showed what worldwide pressure could do to the sometimes overly-arrogant Spaniard, and from halfway on in it was a rough ride in ’08, though with flashes of brilliance mixed in.

While in preseason testing for this year he was once again very fast, the youngster was also quick to point out that the pressure is not on him but on his superstar teammate Valentino Rossi, continually reminding the press that “I’m the future and he’s the present.”

But considering he’s presently been beating Rossi on a regular basis this year, I would venture to guess that said “no pressure” is steadily mounting to more than most experience on an average day at the office. As a relative rookie and youngster in the world’s premiere road racing series, having up-and-down seasons for the first couple years is to be expected. Even Rossi didn’t win the title his first year out. But he did win it in year two, which is where Lorenzo sits right now.

With the speculation and media attention building faster than the quick-talking Barcelona Boy can play in down, will Jorge keep a steady head and prove he’s the real deal? As much as I’m biting my tongue right now to say this, it would be hard to bet against him. The kid has got talent…