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.
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