Jorge Lorenzo hopeful of success in 2015 MotoGP season

Jorge Lorenzo has claimed that his form in the second half of last season has encouraged him ahead of the 2015 campaign.

The 27-year-old failed to finish inside the top two for the first time since 2008, but the rider believes that he is capable of a title challenge next season.

"Finally third position in the championship was not bad," MCN quotes Lorenzo as saying. "I was a little bit lucky that [Dani] Pedrosa made some mistakes at the end of the season otherwise I would probably be fourth.

"But I lost second place in the championship with my mistakes in Qatar and Austin and then again at Assen. From Sachsenring I was always on the podium except for the Valencia race and this is a good signal for the beginning of 2015."

Lorenzo's Movistar Yamaha teammate Valentino Rossi secured second in the rankings, while Marc Marquez took the MotoGP crown.