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Jorge Lorenzo’s new challenge at Repsol Honda
By Emanuele Venturoli| Posted January 10, 2019 | In MotoGP, Motor Racing
By Emanuele Venturoli| Posted January 10, 2019 | In MotoGP, Motor Racing
Jorge Lorenzo’s new challenge at Repsol Honda
After two years at Ducati, former MotoGP champion Jorge Lorenzo has made a bold move ahead of MotoGP 2019 and switched teams.
Lorenzo’s move to Repsol Honda from Ducati for MotoGP 2019 comes with both positives and negatives, according to the rider himself – and whilst he’s fully embracing the new challenge, he’s very aware that it’ll take time to get used to his new bike and that he’ll need to “improve his riding style.”
The five-time world champion told Red Bull that “when you stay on the same bike you get better and better as you know more secrets… (but) I have this extra challenge and excitement the rest of the riders do not have. You lose one part but you gain another.”
What’s Lorenzo’s MotoGP history?
It’s not the first time that Lorenzo has traded places – before his two years at Ducati, he spent eight years (between 2008 and 2016) wearing the Yamaha jersey. Whilst part of the Yamaha team he came top in MotoGP 2010, 2012 and 2015.
Clearly, Lorenzo is a talented, ambitious rider, who isn’t afraid of a challenge – which explains why he’s embraced the move from Ducati to Honda so publicly.
Of course, there is one question that is likely to be on the lips of every motorsport fan as MotoGP 2019 kicks off, and it’s one that concerns Lorenzo’s new teammate: the current reigning MotoGP champion.
So, will Lorenzo topple Marc Marquez?
Both Jorge Lorenzo and his new teammate (and reigning champion) Marc Marquez have spoken publicly and positively about the former’s move from Ducati to Honda. Lorenzo is grateful that Marquez didn’t attempt to block the move, whilst Marquez has said that if his top spot is taken by Lorenzo, riding on the same bike, he’ll know why – and that the result will be fair.
Until MotoGP 2019 fully kicks into gear, we’re unlikely to know whether Lorenzo is likely to take Marquez’s crown – but it’ll certainly be interesting to see which of these motorsport greats comes out top in what could easily become a grudge match within the Repsol Honda team.
When will we see Lorenzo is action for Repsol Honda?
With three tests (in Sepang, Jerez and Qatar) left before the Qatar Grand Prix on 1st March, we’ll have a few opportunities over the next few weeks to see how Lorenzo stacks up against Marquez on the track – and how well he fares with his new Honda bike.
See the full MotoGP 2019 calendar here.
Want to learn about how RTR Sports Marketing can help out with your sports sponsorship campaigns? Contact us now using info@rtrsports.com
Emanuele Venturoli
A graduate in Public, Social and Political Communication from the University of Bologna, he has always been passionate about marketing, design and sport.
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Read MoreWhy choose RTR Sports Marketing
In an era where it is possible to get anywhere with a click, there is a strong temptation to approach teams and properties directly for sponsorship projects.
By doing so, we are convinced that we are shortening the value chain, saving time and money. However, these DYI methods are anything but risk-free and what initially appears to be a competitive advantage soon turns into a problem that is difficult to resolve. That’s why there are agencies. And this is why you should rely on us for your sponsorships.
Save time and money
When first approaching a sponsorship or sports marketing project, it is difficult to know immediately which stakeholders are correct, what the decision flow is, and what the right timelines are for each process. Sports is a very specialized field of action, and fitting effectively into its paths can take a lot of time and therefore money. We, on the other hand, know referents and spheres of action and know who to talk to, when and how. So you are also more effective.
The right information, the right choice
Sports is an immense passion, and for our heart colors we would be willing to do anything. But business is a different business, and it is important to make the best possible strategic decisions based on independent research, statistics and reliable data. A sports marketing and sports sponsorship agency like RTR has an objective, 360-degree picture of the scenario and can tell you what is really best for you: which sport, which athlete, which team. This is because we possess a great deal of data and information on ratings, segmentation and attitudes. Because the numbers don’t lie. Never.
Activations are the beating heart
Activations are the real heart of sports sponsorship. Without them, there remains only a blank sticker on a motorcycle, car or uniform and no contact with the public, no emotional connection, no impact on the bottom line. Then how do you do it? It certainly won’t be the teams or the athletes who will help you leverage sponsorship and enjoy the many marketing rights you have paid for. To bring out the best in a sports marketing project you need an agency that knows how to use sponsorship to engage the fanbase on the Web, to reach out to Shopping Centers, to organize hospitality, to develop B2B and B2C opportunities, and to get “your” athletes in front of millions of potential consumers.
Objective measurements for a certain return
Would you ever go to the dealer who sold you the car and ask if the competitor’s car is better? No, of course. So, how do you expect to get firm measurements of the effectiveness of your sponsorship if you do not rely on someone super partes? At RTR, we have always worked with independent third-party agencies that allow us to know the return on any exposure of your brand on TV and in the media. In addition, we believe in calculating ROI as the ultimate measure of your success-so we can tell you for every penny you spend how much you are making.
Sit back, relax, we’ll take care of it
We have been involved in sports sponsorship and sports marketing for more than 15 years. We are consultants in the sense that our goal is to maximize your investment, but we are also an agency that manages the project from start to finish. We have been doing this since 1995 with passion and professionalism, following three principles that have become cornerstones of our business: independence, verticality and transparency.
I would like to highlight the fact that one of the qualities of RTR is its great ability to approach the sponsorship scenario strategically, together with its passionate attitude, its amazing enthusiasm for solving problems, and its high level of professionalism.
Gianluca Degliesposti
Executive Director Server&Storage EMEA
Eurosport is truly delighted with its business relationship with Riccardo Tafà, who has become extremely popular, thanks to his detailed knowledge of the sports marketing sector and his highly diligent attitude to work.
Francois Ribeiro
Commercial Director
Passion and Expertise are the features that I have found in RTR since the very beginning. Serious and reliable professionals but also very helpful, nice and open-mind people, willing to listen and compare different ideas. All the values in which RTR believes make this agency a partner, not just a supplier, a partner with whom we have had the opportunity to achieve significant commercial results in term of success and image.
Luca Pacitto
Head of Communication
We have been working with RTR Sports Marketing for over 10 years. The objectives and the programmes of collaboration continue to be renewed and to grow with mutual satisfaction. I believe RTR is a team of great professionals led by Riccardo Tafà, who I consider a manager of exceptional skills and with a great passion for his work.
Lucio Cecchinello
Team Principal
I have known and worked with Riccardo Tafà since 1995 when we collaborated for the first time on a project for the Williams Formula 1 team. Several clients followed. After leaving Williams to work for Gerhard Berger then owner of the Toro Rosso F1 Team, I turned again to Riccardo to seek his help in finding a tool supplier for the team and Riccardo duly obliged with an introduction to USAG, a partnership with Toro Rosso which endured for five years. I recently started a new role as Group Commercial Director for the renowned Andretti Autosport organisation and I find myself working with Riccardo once again on a number of interesting projects. Why has this relationship with Riccardo endured ? He’s smart, knows the commercial side of sport inside out and back to front and he’s honest and trustworthy. Riccardo Tafà is a “doer” not a “talker”: in over 20 years I have never had a dispute either with him or with a company that he has introduced and each partnership introduced by Riccardo has delivered quantifiable ROI to rights holder and sponsor alike. I can think of no better testimonial of Riccardo’s diligence, knowledge, contact base and hard work than that.
Jim Wright
Group Commercial Director
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