Laguna seca, California: Complacency was a banned word for Jorge Lorenzo after the Spaniard stretched his lead to a commanding 72 points in the MotoGP standings with victory at the US Grand Prix on Sunday.
The 23-year-old has won six races out of nine, along with three second-place finishes, midway through the season but he preferred to adopt a cautious approach in his bid for a first MotoGP world title.
"Racing is racing and a lot of other things can happen," Yamaha rider Lorenzo told Reuters after crossing the finish line at Laguna Seca 3.517 seconds ahead of Ducati's Australian Casey Stoner.
"You can blow the engine or you can crash two or three times, so we must be patient. Half the season is still left and it wouldn't be the first time a rider has lost the title with such a big lead.
"We have a great gap now so we must enjoy the holidays and then start thinking about Brno and keep pushing for the championship," he said of the next race on the circuit on August 15 in Czech Republic.
Lorenzo was especially delighted to seal his first victory at the scenic Laguna Seca circuit, having suffered several setbacks at the venue last year.
Twelve months ago, the Spaniard took pole position despite crashing and partially dislocating his collar bone in qualifying but eventually had to settle for third behind winner Dani Pedrosa and Valentino Rossi.
"This is very special," Lorenzo said after recording his 11th MotoGP win. "This track was very painful for me last year so it was important to finish well. Winning here is something I've always dreamed of."
