Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo has admitted his podium at the Malaysian Grand Prix was “lucky” after several rivals crashed out.
The race at the Sepang International Circuit took place in challenging and damp conditions, which caused riders like Marc Marquez and Andrea Iannone to suffer falls.
Lorenzo moved into the lead at the start but was quickly shuffled down several places, making up ground as others crashed to claim third place.
“I stayed on the bike although I didn’t feel very good today – it was worse than the qualifying with more water,” he explained.
“I feel lucky because all the crashes were in front of me and that gave me the chance to get on the podium in the rain, but that’s good for confidence. I stayed on the bike.
“I didn’t want a mixed race, so I was almost praying for it to rain – and then maybe it rained too much.
“I had some moments on the sighting lap and so I told Loris and race direction that we should delay the race, which we did and when the track was safe, we were able to ride quite well.
“Valencia will be an emotional moment because nine years with one team who gave me so much is emotional. So I’ll train and give my best, and finish in the best way possible.”