MotoGP champion Jorge Lorenzo wants stiffer penalties for reckless riders

Two-time world MotoGP champion Jorge Lorenzo believes clear guidelines need to be set to make the sport safer for riders.

Once again, the spotlight has been cast on safety in motorsports following two high-profile incidents recently.

Last weekend, Scottish IndyCar racer Dario Franchitti fractured his spine and ankle after a spectacular collision with Japan's Takuma Sato at the Houston Grand Prix.

And in the most recent MotoGP race in Aragon, Spain, two weeks ago, rookie sensation Marc Marquez brushed the rear of Honda teammate Dani Pedrosa's bike while battling for second place early in the race.

In the ensuing collision, Pedrosa's machine crashed, causing the rider to be flung off his bike. Lorenzo, who was in Singapore for a quick visit ahead of this weekend's race in Sepang, Malaysia, believes the Race Direction must step in to make the sport safer.

The Race Direction are a team of officials who monitor and steward races in MotoGP.

When asked about the possible sanctions Marquez could face for his Aragon indiscretion, Lorenzo said yesterday: "I don't think we have to focus on one rider.

"All the riders must have one clear line of what is punishable and what is not.

"The only reason a rider changes his riding style is when he gets penalised. If not, why would you?

"The only way you will change is to lose one race, for example, and understand that if you continue that way you will lose a lot of points."

While Formula One, regarded by many as the pinnacle of motorsports, has become much safer since the 1970s, MotoGP continues to feature its fair share of crashes.

Spain's Lorenzo, 26, world champion in 2010 and 2012, said: "The responsibility is with the Race Direction. They are the referees of the championship.

"Our sport is the most dangerous sport in the world, and, in my opinion, we need bigger penalties for riders taking risks and creating risks for others, to change their mentality."

Lorenzo, who currently trails Marquez by 39 points with four races left in the 2013 MotoGP season, knows the defence of his title is all but over.

'Unbelievable Rider'

For him to finish to regain his crown, he would need Marquez to miss out on at least one podium finish.

But the youngster, who the defending champion described as an "unbelievable rider", has managed podium finishes in 12 of his 13 races so far.

He only failed to finish once, in the Italian Grand Prix.

"It seems like the only way is if he (Marquez) makes a mistake, but even if I finish first in the last four races and he finishes second, we won't win," said Lorenzo.

"If we can do something special in Sepang and Phillip Island (the following race in Australia), maybe we can put some pressure on him.

"Anything is possible and we have to believe and fight until the end, but it's difficult, to be honest.

"Something not normal must happen."

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