Honda will be ready to build Jorge Lorenzo a different bike from that used by current star rider Marc Marquez, but technical chief Takeo Yokoyama was not convinced that much change would be necessary.

“We are aware that Lorenzo’s riding style is quite different, but until he tries our package, we don’t know what we will need to do.

“I am confident that we can make what he will require, but I can’t say how much different it will be until he starts to ride it.”

But Cal Crutchlow, the only other rider to win a race on this year’s much-improved RC213V, asserts that Lorenzo will have to change to suit the bike, rather than the other way round.

He agreed that the bike responds best to an aggressive style, with both him and Marquez riding it quite violently, but says it is not by choice.

“We are taking advantage of the strong points of the bike,” he said.

“But when you see how many times we end up on our head, maybe we are trying to take too much advantage.

“Any rider would prefer something that is easy to ride, that is nice and smooth. But that doesn’t work for the Honda. The bike dictates how you have to ride it.”

Muscling it around over a weekend meant that he puts on weight over each GP, he revealed. “Before I leave for the weekend, I weigh around 66.8 kg, but when I get home afterwards it’s up to 69.”

By Michael Scott