The MotoGP rookie made a sensational start to the season, scoring three pole positions, his maiden win, and two more podiums in the first three races of the year before fracturing his ankles in a fall at Shanghai in May.
He has crashed at most events since and suffered a severe concussion and a hand injury at Barcelona in June, and broke three bones in his foot in a huge high-side on the first lap at Laguna Seca two weeks ago.
He has revealed that he now fears riding and is desperate to regain his confidence of the early part of the season.
"Circumstances have changed. Unfortunately I've had too many consecutive crashes and these have caused me to be afraid of the bike, I'm not the same person I was at the beginning of the season," he told Motosprint.
"At this competitive level, if you are a bit afraid of the bike and lose just a little bit of confidence, then you are finished. Normally I'm not afraid of crashing and getting injured but now I'm in a crisis and I'm working towards getting rid of this fear.
"The best solution is to spend time on the bike and to ride it always in the best possible way so I can regain the confidence and understand that it isn't as dangerous as I think it is now. It is a dangerous sport but when a rider has confidence in himself and his bike, he can manage the relationship with danger. I must get back to this condition.
"I crashed in China and hurt myself a lot. A Le Mans I crashed twice with my ankles broken already. I crashed once more at Mugello and finally at Barcelona, where I hurt myself badly because I banged my head. At that point I told myself 'I can't carry on this way, crashing so violently over and over again'."
Lorenzo believes he started the campaign pushing extremely hard and has paid the price for that approach. He says he needs to take a more conservative approach to the rest of the season.
"At times I went too quick in comparison to the conditions of the corner, the bike, and the tyres. You usually see the slower riders crashing because a slow rider goes only 20 per cent in one corner and 100 per cent in another, and neither is good. It's important to realise you need to go more consistently but within the limits, not beyond 95 per cent at every corner of every track.
"To always go at 100 per cent is almost impossible. You can do a corner at 100 per cent but not an entire race. I must learn to understand where and when I can risks. I must start going a bit slower.
"When you start the season with three poles, you're always on the podium, and you win your third race, you think 'I can go a lot quicker than I've been before' and I thought I had a confidence that I didn't really have. Now I need to find the point in between, I had too much confidence before and I have too little now."
He fears that his current form will overshadow his outstanding performances at the beginning of the season if it continues.
"I think people know how quick I can go when the conditions are right for me, but I can't be satisfied because people forget quickly. If I don't start going quick again it's easy to cast doubts on me. People want me to go quick but now I'm not able to satisfy those expectations so don't feel happy.
"I'm working hard to get back to doing that. I'm trying to ride more safely and I think one day the fruits of the work I'm doing will be there for all to see."
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