The current MotoGP has achieved almost unprecedented levels of competitiveness, with all the manufacturers on the grid capable of winning races that are often very close fought. Consider the results of the latest British GP, where the first fifteen riders crossed the line within 16 seconds of each other.  MotoGP has changed   A significant difference to what we used to see in the reigning class years ago, when the gaps were much bigger. Compared to the past, the atmosphere between the riders seems different too now, with no tension, a lot of smiling faces and almost zero controversy.  A situation far from that seen during the era of Valentino Rossi, Daniel Pedrosa, Jorge Lorenzo, Casey Stoner and Marc Marquez, all of whom were rivals both on and off the track.  Lorenzo&rsquo;s opinion   Lorenzo offers his opinion as to our observations above: &quot;Unlike in the past, today&rsquo;s riders all look to be friends&rdquo;, said Jorge during an interview with Cycle World.  &ldquo;Quartararo doesn&rsquo;t speak to Bagnaia in the same way I&rsquo;d talk to Rossi. Pecco doesn&rsquo;t talk to Jorge Mart&iacute;n like Rossi did with Stoner. Today they all have good relationships&rdquo;, continues the Majorcan.  &quot;I have great respect for every rider, but it&rsquo;s the fierce battles that the fans like&rdquo;, the five-time champion states, continuing to compare his era with the present day. &ldquo;Consider the look Gibernau gave Valentino at Jerez in 2005, the battles between Rossi and Stoner or Rossi and Biaggi. Those rivalries were in the air. It&rsquo;s the same in F1, where the rivalry between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, or Verstappen and Leclerc, is tangible&quot;.  A totally different climate, as we&rsquo;ve said, compared to what we see today. According to the former Yamaha, Honda and Ducati rider, rivalry in motorsport has always added something extra to the racing. Not like now, where &ldquo;Instagram and the pursuit of likes&rdquo; may be a reason why riders seek to be friendly with each other.  Jorge: &quot;Rossi had all the attention&quot;   Speaking of rivalry, Lorenzo experienced this for himself with Rossi: &quot;It was difficult for me. Without my strong personality, I&rsquo;d probably have been crushed psychologically because Valentino had all the attention&rdquo;, recalls #99, &ldquo;everyone loved Valentino and this made you feel very small&rdquo;, he states.  &ldquo;But I was determined and, once the visor went down, my only goal was to open the throttle and win. Beating Rossi with the same bike gave me so much satisfaction and popularity&rdquo;, concludes Lorenzo.  Translated by Heather Watson  MotoGP, Marc Marquez opens up: &ldquo;This is what I think of Valentino Rossi&rdquo; 

The Majorcan recalls his rivalry with the Italian, something that he believes is missing in the top class today

Jorge Lorenzo: &ldquo;Valentino Rossi would make you feel small&rdquo;

        MotoGP has recently been taken aback by the news regarding Marc Marquez, which opens up new scenarios in the reigning class, a category that is increasingly in the hands of the new generation, names like Pecco Bagnaia, Fabio Quartararo and Enea Bastianini. Jorge Lorenzo was one of the stars of recent motorcycle history, as well as one of Marc Marquez&rsquo;s toughest rivals, and his team-mate for one season. The Spaniard, who has never hidden his admiration and respect for his fellow countryman, comments: "Marc is unique and I hope he can overcome this ordeal as soon as possible. He&rsquo;s one of the best in history. When he&rsquo;s in top shape, he&rsquo;s number 1&rdquo;. The Spaniard is clear: "Marc is experiencing the worst period of his career"  Speaking to DAZN, the Spaniard underlines one particular goal that Marquez has, or rather the goal to beat Valentino Rossi in terms of total number of world titles: "Marquez is experiencing the worst period of his career, no doubt. And Honda too. Before starting the 2020 championship, they signed a four-year deal with the aim to beat records and beat Valentino Rossi in terms of world titles, something that I&rsquo;m sure would have happened without the Jerez incident.&rdquo; A goal that isn&rsquo;t impossible to achieve, but one that is clearly made complicated by the setbacks Marquez has experienced between 2020 and now, the Spaniard having now made the difficult decision not to continue with the current season. But Jorge Lorenzo sees this as the right thing to do: &ldquo;After the incident, they rushed and that led to problems. I&rsquo;m sure he&rsquo;s been giving it his all, but he was in a situation where he wasn&rsquo;t having fun anymore. You need to be 100% to ride these bikes". Translated by Heather Watson GP Mugello, a second double DNF for Suzuki: the tough times continue       

The five-time champion speaks frankly about his fellow countryman, underlining a goal that dates back to 2020

MotoGP, Jorge Lorenzo: “Marquez would have won more titles than Rossi”

The world championship Hall of Fame will this year welcome three new stars, in the shape of five-time world champion Jorge Lorenzo, six-time world champion, Max Biaggi (4 in 250 and 2 in Superbike) and four-time world champion Hugh Anderson.  Although they were in fact inducted into the Hall of Fame back in 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic has meant that the official ceremony during which they will receive their &ldquo;MotoGP Legend&rdquo; badges will only take place this year.&nbsp;  Award ceremony locations   The first to receive his badge will be Majorcan Jorge Lorenzo, five-time world champion (2 in 250 e 3 in MotoGP), during the course of the Spanish GP Jerez de la Frontera. It will then be the turn of six-time world champion Max Biaggi (4 titles in 250, 2 in Superbike), who will receive his certificate from Carmelo Ezpeleta during the Mugello race weekend.  The last to collect his sought-after medal will be New Zealander Hugh Anderson, four-time world champion (2 in the 50 class and 2 in 125) during the course of the Australian GP at Phillip Island.  The list of world championship Hall of Fame members continues to grow then with the official entry of Lorenzo, Anderson and Biaggi.  Translated by Heather Watson  MotoGP, Dovizioso: &ldquo;I could have run a good race, Quartararo proved that&rdquo; 

The riders will be inducted into the Hall of Fame later this year after a delay owing to the Covid-19 pandemic

Jorge Lorenzo, Max Biaggi and Hugh Anderson to be made MotoGP Legends

        In an interview with Solomoto, the Spanish manager analyses recent generations of reigning class riders and selects what he considers to be the best. The current Repsol Honda Team Director has a long career behind him. After retiring from competition in 1997, he worked as a talent scout for many years, discovering riders like Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa (he was also the Spaniard&rsquo;s personal manager). During said interview, Puig spoke about the Stoner/Pedrosa/Lorenzo age, which he believes is better than the current generation. Puig: "Rossi and Marquez come from an instinctive generation"  Today&rsquo;s MotoGP consists of many young riders, from Mir to Quartararo, already world champions, to Bastianini, winner of this season&rsquo;s first round. The generational changeover is clear to see, with a 29-year old Marc Marquez already one of the category&rsquo;s veterans. The rider level is very high, due also to a very balanced field of manufacturers, with very little between them. The "Fantastic 4" era, in which the races were almost always monopolised by the same riders is now a distant memory and perhaps this is the reason why Alberto Puig has such clear ideas as to which is the best generation: &ldquo;With all due respect for the current riders, the generation that I knew so well, with Stoner, Pedrosa or Lorenzo, was definitely better than the current generation. Those three were of exceptional quality and potential". The three riders that the Spanish manager mentions made their mark on the world championship and MotoGP, both for their overall results &ndash; with two titles for Stoner, five for Lorenzo and three for Pedrosa (in the minor classes), but also for their personalities and riding styles. Puig chooses to exclude Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez from this group, putting them in their own special category: &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t count Rossi and Marquez as they come from an instinctive generation". Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, Bastianini will aim for the double in Indonesia, but...&ldquo;It won&rsquo;t be easy&rdquo;       

The Honda Team Director explains how he preferred the previous generation of riders. Although Marquez and Rossi appear to be exceptions, for one specific reason

MotoGP, Puig: “The best generation was that of Lorenzo, Stoner and Pedrosa”

        DAZN, the rights holder for MotoGP in Spain, has been working on an &ldquo;I, rider&rdquo; special that covers various subjects through the eyes of the stars themselves. Those interviewed include Jorge Lorenzo and Marc M&aacute;rquez, who spoke about the toughest side to this sport &ndash; the injuries. The careers of both have been marked by significant accidents, in fact M&aacute;rquez is currently dealing with the after-effects of one such incident. How does a rider deal with the crashes?  As reported on the As.com site, the Majorcan comments: &ldquo;I was one of the bravest, one of those who wasn&rsquo;t scared to admit how he was feeling, already in 2008. The crashes where I was scared were those in China, Le Mans or Montmel&oacute; where I hit my head. I reached the point where I was scared to ride, but I gradually got over it. I was the first to admit it&rdquo;. Motorcycling is one of the most dangerous sports, there&rsquo;s no denying it, and the five-time champion explains: &ldquo;In those moments, it&rsquo;s as if you once again become conscious of the risks of the sport, because sometimes you don&rsquo;t see it, you&rsquo;re protected and have good control of the bike, and you&rsquo;ve been doing it since you were little after all&hellip; but you&rsquo;re not conscious of the fact that, if something goes wrong, or you&rsquo;re unlucky, you may sustain a physical handicap or even die&rdquo;. Not all accidents are so easily overcome  We don&rsquo;t exactly know Marc Marquez&rsquo;s current state of health, the Spaniard having recently damaged his eye in a crash, but in the documentary he says: &ldquo;Normally, we riders have already internalised what crashes are, what risk, pain, and injuries are. You crash and want to get back on the bike, but there are times, or crashes, when you don&rsquo;t immediately feel like getting back on". But it is here that the most serious aspect of this passion-turned-job comes into play: "Maybe you prefer to wait one, two, three days or more. But you can&rsquo;t forget that you&rsquo;re a professional rider&rdquo;. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, Puig: &ldquo;2022 without Marquez? We&rsquo;re not considering that possibility&rdquo;       

Interviewed by Spanish platform DAZN, the Majorcan and Marc Marquez touched on the delicate subject of injury. Here&rsquo;s what they had to say

MotoGP, Lorenzo: “I reached the point where I was scared to ride”

        Jorge Lorenzo was waiting for Fabio Quartararo in parc ferm&eacute; at Misano, at the end of the Emilia-Romagna race that saw the Frenchman secure the world championship title. A well-deserved win, and one that means Fabio has become the youngest Yamaha rider to win the title, going one better than Lorenzo, who won the 2010 championship at 23 years and 159 days of age. Lorenzo: &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t expect Bagnaia to crash&rdquo;  Having hugged El Diablo, the Majorcan said a few words to Sky Sport MotoGP. &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t expect Pecco&rsquo;s crash &ndash; he&rsquo;s been the strongest in recent races&rdquo;, began the five-time world champion in reference to the Italian&rsquo;s extraordinary fall four laps from the end. &ldquo;I have to say that Fabio deserves the title, he's done well and made no mistakes. He&rsquo;s a good guy, he deserved the title&rdquo;. The last Yamaha rider&rsquo;s title dates back to 2015, when it was Lorenzo himself to lift the trophy. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m very pleased for Yamaha too, they were due a win after six years without&rdquo;, concluded the 34-year old. Translated by Heather Watson GP Emilia-Romagna, Lorenzo: &ldquo;Me and Rossi? Two roosters in the hen house&rdquo;       

Lorenzo was on hand to see Fabio Quartararo crowned champion: "Fabio never made any mistakes this season, he's done well"

MotoGP Misano, Jorge Lorenzo: “Quartararo deserves the title”

Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi shared the Yamaha garage from 2008 to 2010 and again from 2013 to 2016 - two periods that were characterised by an intense rivalry that&nbsp;has gone down in history.  Memories of 2008   As the Doctor begins his final race weekend on Italian soil, the former rider Lorenzo looks back at some of his memories with the Italian. &ldquo;Rossi and I made up the strongest team from 2008 to 2010, no doubt. Yamaha were winning 70% of races, and we won three titles between us&rdquo; the Majorcan tells Sky Sport MotoGP.  &ldquo;Me and Valentino were like two roosters in the hen house, both with strong personalities, both wanting to win&rdquo;. An intense rivalry, that Lorenzo recalls with pleasure. &ldquo;There were some great moments, like Le Mans 2008. I finished second after injuring my ankles in China, Valentino won and Edwards finished third. That was the first Yamaha 1-2-3 of the modern era, we were so happy&rdquo;.  The five-time champ has other memories of that same season, the first that they shared as team-mates: &ldquo;When Vale won the championship at Motegi and Yamaha won the constructor&rsquo;s title, we were celebrating on the bus to the airport, with music chosen by the driver. Good times&rdquo;.  The tension of 2015   Good times that were then followed by more tense moments, like those of the 2015 season: &ldquo;That year, Marc and Vale came into contact in Argentina and their relationship changed from then on. The Rio Hondo episode was the trigger and I benefited, winning the championship. Being friends is tough in certain situations - Rossi and I were very competitive, it was difficult to go out together and build a friendship. But there was a lot of respect, and we were friendlier the further apart we were. In fact, when we changed teams, our relationship improved&rdquo;, concludes Lorenzo.  Translated by Heather Watson  MotoGP, Darryn Binder and Yamaha, together for (at least) a year 

The Majorcan looks back at his rivalry with the nine-time world champ: &quot;In our situation, it was impossible to be friends, but there was a lot of respect between us&quot;

GP Emilia-Romagna, Lorenzo: &ldquo;Me and Rossi? Two roosters in the hen house&rdquo;

        Hacienda, the Spanish tax office, was asking Jorge Lorenzo for 35 million Euro in unpaid taxes, dating back to 2013, 2014 and 2015, but the five-time world champion won&rsquo;t have to pay a cent. The Majorcan has won his legal case, having come to an agreement with the Spanish Central Administrative Court (TEAC). All&rsquo;s well that ends well  According to &ldquo;El Confindencial&rdquo;, the TEAC recognises that during that period, the former rider&rsquo;s residence for tax purposes was in Switzerland and not in Spain. The case is therefore closed for the Majorcan, who has lived in Lugano since 2013 and has had run-ins with Hacienda in the past. Lorenzo has stated his innocence and has been proved right. Like him, other Spanish riders have also moved their fiscal residence to other countries and come up against Hacienda. Dani Pedrosa for example, he too resident in Switzerland, who will be back in action at the Red Bull Ring on 8 August. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, Albesiano: &ldquo;Dovizioso has really helped Aprilia&rdquo;        

The Majorcan wins against the Spanish tax office, proving his fiscal residence in Switzerland

MotoGP, Lorenzo won’t pay 35 million to the Spanish tax authorities

Now a MotoGP paddock outsider, Jorge Lorenzo doesn&rsquo;t hold back when asked about his former colleagues. And now, in an interview with Sky Sport MotoGP, he analyses two important situations &ndash; Maverick Vinales&rsquo;s departure from Yamaha and the question mark that hangs over Valentino Rossi&rsquo;s future.  &nbsp;A new life of travel and good food  But first he talks about his new life: &ldquo;I have to say that I miss a lot of people from the paddock as I&rsquo;d developed friendships over the years. But I also miss the victories, winning is an amazing feeling, and oncce you experience it you want it again and again. But now I&rsquo;m experiencing a sort of second youth, I travel a lot, do what I want and visit places where I can eat well, although I have to watch my figure&rdquo;.  Jorge also had the time to be able to enjoy the Euro 2020 football games, supporting Spain of course but without forgetting Italy, a country close to his heart: &ldquo;I was sorry that Spain lost to Italy of course, but at the same time I feel a little Italian having spent so many years of my life there so I&rsquo;m pleased about the win, you guys deserve it!&rdquo;  &nbsp;&ldquo;Vinales &ndash; Yamaha? No one expected him to leave&rdquo;  Lorenzo then considers the current MotoGP season: &ldquo;With Marc Marquez out of action for more than a year, it was a rather strange 2020 season, but in the end Quartararo was able to mature and is stronger than he was last season, the clear favourite for the title now. I&rsquo;m sure that Marquez will gradually get stronger again&rdquo;.  As for Vinales&#39; decision to leave the Iwata manufacturer at the end of the 2021 season: &ldquo;We all knew that the Yamaha-Vinales relationship wasn&rsquo;t easy but no one expected him to leave. Vinales has been affected by Quartararo&rsquo;s speed, the Frenchman almost always stronger than him. That isn&rsquo;t easy. For a guy with so much potential, the fact he hasn&rsquo;t been able to win a title after five years with Yamaha has led him to desperately seek out another path. Aprilia has clearly improved, but we don&rsquo;t know that he&rsquo;ll go there, he might go to Suzuki or even Ducati. We&rsquo;ll have to see&rdquo;.  &ldquo;I bet Rossi retires at the end of the season&rdquo;  Jorge is then asked about Valentino Rossi and the decision regarding his future: &ldquo;Anything can happen, but if I had to bet, I&rsquo;d say that this is Valentino&rsquo;s last season. But he might surprise us. Might he test the Ducati of his new VR46 team? I don&rsquo;t know, but the decision to have a team is a very good one&rdquo;.  Translated by Heather Watson  MotoGP, Puig: &ldquo;Marquez? He&rsquo;s riding with an arm and a half&rdquo; 

The Majorcan talks about the Yamaha rider and Rossi too: &ldquo;I bet this is Valentino&rsquo;s last season&rdquo;

MotoGP, Lorenzo: &ldquo;Vinales leaving Yamaha? A desperate decision&rdquo;

        In the life of all athletes, there&rsquo;s a before and an after, and Jorge Lorenzo has been enjoying his new life as a former rider since last year. The Majorcan has definitively cut the cord with the motorcycling world and is enjoying life at his home in Lugano, relaxing and taking on new professional commitments. A new and happy life  Interviewed for the &ldquo;Espejo P&uacute;blico&rdquo; show, Lorenzo has admitted that, having hung up his helmet, his quality of life has improved: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m happier now than when I raced. I&rsquo;m a perfectionist and so when I do something, I do it to the nth degree. I would spend all day thinking how to improve, I&rsquo;d spend 6 or 7 hours a day training&rdquo;. But some sensations are hard to come by now: &ldquo;I miss winning. I preferred winning to riding&rdquo;. From father to son  His career began thanks to father Chicho, with whom he had a stormy relationship until not so long ago. The 34-year old comments: &ldquo;He was the one who got me into this world, this was his passion. He built me a bike for my first race when I was three. He was like a sergeant, a Hitler-type, like one of those trainers working with Chinese or Russian gymnasts. He taught me many important values, like discipline, and that nothing happens by chance&rdquo;. And if he himself were to become a father? He is clear on this: &ldquo;I&rsquo;d do all I could to ensure he didn&rsquo;t become a rider&rdquo;. Honda chapter  He ran his last races wearing the colours of one of the most prestigious teams, Repsol Honda, but the 2019 season was an uphill climb right from the off: &ldquo;It was very emotional, people talked about the Dream Team, with me and Marquez, we were the two riders who had won the most during the previous ten years. But I broke my scaphoid over the winter, and then a rib in the first race, I didn&rsquo;t adapt to the bike, the Honda was a surprisingly complicated machine and the results didn&rsquo;t come. I wasn&rsquo;t able to hold on, despite having another year on my contract&rdquo;. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP Germany, Rossi keen to re-emerge at the Sachsenring       

The Majorcan talks about what he misses about his life as a rider, about the discipline his father taught him and about the toughest moment of his career with Honda

MotoGP, Lorenzo on father Chicho: “He was like a sergeant, like Hitler”

Jorge Lorenzo, with the experience that comes with being a former rider, continues to delight his fans with comments about the races, his past and his personal opinions. In his latest video to appear on Tik Tok, he answers the question: &ldquo;Who was the toughest rider to beat?&rdquo; And so Jorge provides an overview of the various categories, coming to the conclusion that of them all, it was Marc Marquez who was the hardest to beat. And here&rsquo;s why.  &ldquo;He&rsquo;ll be back, showing what he&rsquo;s made of&rdquo;   &ldquo;The last year I raced in MotoGP Marquez was incredibly fast - says Jorge in the video &ndash; The difference between him and everyone else was that he would never give in in the races, regardless of the situation he was in. It made no difference to him who his rivals were. Now he has tough competition with Fabio Quartararo, but once he&rsquo;s fully recovered he&rsquo;ll show what he&rsquo;s made of. I think of them all, he was the hardest to beat&rdquo;. But Jorge doesn&rsquo;t stop there, also citing Dani Pedrosa and Valentino Rossi.  Rossi and Pedrosa also on the list   Jorge considers&nbsp; the various categories in which he raced: &ldquo;In 250 I had trouble beating Dani Pedrosa, as he was very quick. Then in my first years in MotoGP, I came up against Valentino Rossi. At that time he was in fine form, from 2008 to 2010, but also in 2015&rdquo;.  He may no longer share the track with his former colleagues, but Jorge Lorenzo is always keen to voice his opinions about the riders. And he&rsquo;s not short on experience after all.  Translated by Heather Watson  Redding and Misano redemption: a missed opportunity in 2015 still hurts 

Jorge Lorenzo thinks back and compiles a list of his toughest rivals: &ldquo;Pedrosa was quick in 250, Rossi was strong for a few years&rdquo;

MotoGP, Lorenzo: &ldquo;Marquez the strongest rival to beat&rdquo;

        The Mugello track has always been one of Jorge Lorenzo&rsquo;s favourites, with its long, fast turns that well suit the Majorcan&rsquo;s riding style. And it was at the Tuscan track that Lorenzo scored one of his most important wins, powering the Ducati Desmosedici to victory in 2018. In his latest YouTube video, Jorge talks about the days leading up to that GP and recalls the difficulties of that period which convinced him to sign with Honda for 2019. "I was pessimistic"  &ldquo;After the Le Mans weekend, I felt pessimistic. Suzuki had appeared interested in me but decided to go with youngster Joan Mir&rdquo;, tells the five-time world champion. &ldquo;Everyone said Petrucci would take my place in Ducati and my only real option was the team Petronas Yamaha but, having been a factory Yamaha rider, I wasn&rsquo;t keen on the idea of joining a satellite team, even though my manager was working hard to formulate a deal&rdquo;. Jorge recalls the dark days before he accepted the HRC offer: &ldquo;On my day off after the French round, I invited my trainer Ivan Lopez to go shopping with me but that didn&rsquo;t cheer me up. I was pessimistic, without a bike at 31, I felt a bit depressed. So I decided to go home and threw myself into bed, because sleeping&rsquo;s the best way to forget everything&rdquo;. &ldquo;Between Le Mans and Mugello, Dorna had organised a test at Montmel&ograve;. I was out training with my bicycle just before the test and received an unexpected call. It was Alberto Puig, who told me that there was a real chance I could join Honda for the 2019 season. He just needed to convince the Japanese, but the thing I thought would be the biggest obstacle, or rather Marquez vetoing the plan, wasn&rsquo;t a problem at all because Marc had given my arrival the OK&rdquo;. Signing for Honda and winning the 2018 Italian GP  The contract was signed a few days later: &ldquo;After the test, where I finished second, Puig called me back for a meeting outside Barcelona, and I was presented with an offer. I was surprised, because it was an attractive offer, more than I expected financially and considering the circumstances, though definitely less than what I&rsquo;d been earning at Yamaha and Ducati. I talked with my manager Albert and a few days later we went to Alberto Puig&rsquo;s house to sign the contract. I became a Honda rider for the next two seasons&rdquo;. And then came the Mugello win: "I immediately took the lead in the race and Marc Marquez crashed while lying second. I had to defend myself from Andrea Dovizioso&rsquo;s advances, but he threw in the towel two thirds of the way through. When I crossed the line, it became one of the best days of my life&rdquo;. Translated by Heather Watson Italian MotoGP, is Bagnaia ready for success at Mugello?       

In his weekly series, the former Majorcan reveals something of the build up to the 2018 Italian GP.

MotoGP Italy, Jorge Lorenzo: “I won at Mugello after signing for Honda”

        Jorge Lorenzo is now an established youtuber, publishing a weekly segment as part of his 99seconds series. The latest edition focuses on Le Mans, the track that will host the next MotoGP round and one that conjures up good memories for the Majorcan, both in the minor classes and the reigning class itself. Jorge talks about the 2010 edition of the Grand Prix, a race that he won ahead of rival/team-mate Valentino Rossi. Market movement  At that time, Valentino and Jorge were fighting for the title, while contract negotiations with the Iwata manufacturer were also taking place. "It was normal for market discussions to be taking place and Valentino Rossi had clearly told Yamaha: &lsquo;It&rsquo;s me or Lorenzo&rsquo;&rdquo;, Jorge recounts. &ldquo;But Iwata bosses responded by saying that they&rsquo;d be happy to continue on with Rossi if he wanted, but that they wouldn&rsquo;t be doing so without me. Valentino took it badly, he saw it as a betrayal after everything he&rsquo;d done, and won, for Yamaha&rdquo;. The win and the post-race gag  Lorenzo then talks about that weekend: &ldquo;Rossi finished ahead of me in qualifying but I was quicker in the race and was able to break away after a little pushing and shoving". At the end of the race, number 99 celebrated in his own special way: "At turn 4 I&rsquo;d seen that there was a huge maxi-screen, like a cinema screen, with Yamaha advertising right under it. It was the perfect place for what I had in mind, and I could also publicise the brand I was racing for. I got my assistant Carlos Gil to get a chair and popcorn for the plan I had in mind if I were to win&rdquo;. "And so, after I won, I sat in front of the screen as if I were at the cinema. I wasn&rsquo;t a Jim Carrey or Woody Allen film, but it was the best show I could have seen, a very important win that served as an important push towards the championship title&rdquo;. A world championship that, also owing to Rossi&rsquo;s injury at Mugello a few weeks later, he would go on to secure quite easily.             Visualizza questo post su Instagram  Un post condiviso da JORGE LORENZO (@jorgelorenzo99)      Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP France, Rossi: &ldquo;Improvements in testing, I want to be faster&rdquo;       

The five-time world champion recalls his win at Le Mans in 2010 and provides some background: "Valentino Rossi had clearly told Yamaha: &lsquo;It&rsquo;s me or Lorenzo'"

MotoGP France, Jorge Lorenzo: “Rossi felt betrayed by Yamaha in 2010”

        MotoGP fans have always been interested in the trivia, the unexpected celebrations, the on-the-limit passes and the dramatic twists that the riders and races offer up, leaving us on the edge of our seats. But there&rsquo;s one anecdote that&rsquo;s particularly worth remembering. Mainly for the sheer madness of the gesture, made by Jorge Lorenzo at the 2010 Jerez GP. The race to win   The Majorcan was racing for the Yamaha team, with Valentino Rossi as a team-mate. At the start of 2010, Lorenzo finished second in Qatar and then won at Jerez on 2 May. He got off the line second, behind Dani Pedrosa and in front of Casey Stoner and Valentino Rossi. He didn&rsquo;t make the best start and was lying fifth, Pedrosa and Rossi up ahead, followed by Hayden and Stoner in hot pursuit. It didn&rsquo;t look as if it would be a great race for Jorge but then something began to change and the two leaders suddenly appeared to be within his reach. Lorenzo set a record lap time with nine laps to go, and soon passed both Valentino and Pedrosa. The final lap saw the two Spaniards battling it out, and then Dani made a mistake, running wide and allowing Lorenzo to pass him and cross the line first. From celebration to near tragedy   Lorenzo was in seventh heaven, and rightly so. The race hadn&rsquo;t been easy and a win hadn&rsquo;t even looked possible at the start. But we all know Jorge Lorenzo never liked the word &lsquo;impossible&rsquo;. On his lap of honour, the Majorcan was overjoyed aboard his white and blue Yamaha and, on reaching the artificial lake located between turns one and two, he left his M1 with the marshals and began to run. He dived straight in, still wearing his suit, helmet and boots. Not exactly the best apparel for an off-season swim. Jorge&rsquo;s leathers filled with water, though fortunately the airbag helped him to stay afloat. Many ran to the lake, some taking photos before realising that the situation had got a little out of control. In the end, Jorge was assisted out and, the adrenaline having worn off, he commented: &ldquo;I was really scared I&rsquo;d drown, I risked my life, the celebration was turning into a nightmare&rdquo;. From the dive to the 2010 title  &ldquo;I&rsquo;d already clocked the lake on Thursday, thinking it would be fun to jump in. I think the fans liked it, but I forgot to calculate how heavy I&rsquo;d be in my wet leathers, and for a minute I was worried I wouldn&rsquo;t be able to get out&rdquo;. A memorable performance by Lorenzo, and one which had a happy ending&hellip;. Jorge wouldn&rsquo;t just remember 2010 for the Jerez GP but for his title win come the end of the season, after scoring nine wins and five second place finishes for a total of 383 points. A year that definitely deserves its place in the history books. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, a lack of respect between the riders? Valentino Rossi&rsquo;s comments       

After winning, Jorge celebrating by jumping into the lake at the circuit but his helmet and suit almost caused him to drown, the rider eventually fished out by marshals &nbsp;

Jorge Lorenzo and the Jerez dive that almost ended in tragedy

        The controversy between Jorge Lorenzo and the other MotoGP riders regarding Cal Crutchlow&rsquo;s crash during testing in Qatar continues to make the news. It all started with a social media post on the MotoGP account that showed Crutchlow in the gravel at Losail, to which Lorenzo responded with an ironic "I told you so!&rdquo; Tit for tat  A comment that caused both Jack Miller and Aleix Espargar&oacute; to react, both riders quick to defend the Yamaha test rider. "I prefer to be a good human than a champion&rdquo;, wrote the Aprilia rider. The Majorcan shot back with &ldquo;Better to be both, right? I assure you it&rsquo;s a wonderful sensation and I hope you can experience it one day!&rdquo; He then doubled down in a post published later: "0 wins in 18 years? Really? The fact you&rsquo;re still in MotoGP is just magic". A squabble that former MotoGP and Superbike rider Ben Spies then tried to diffuse with a funny story on Instagram. No regret  A debate - and one that could have been avoided - that doesn&rsquo;t appear to bother Lorenzo. Quite the opposite in fact. "Firstly, when I respond to someone on social media, I don&rsquo;t give it the same importance others do. For me this is kind of a game and I enjoy it", the five-time world champion tells As. "I made a comment about Crutchlow&rsquo;s crash. Then two riders (Miller and Espargaro) took advantage, replying to me with the excuse of defending another rider. It&rsquo;s not in my personality to keep quiet and so I replied&rdquo;. So, no about face. Who knows whether Jorge has another episode of this soap opera in store for us over the coming days, considering the final Qatari test sessions taking place from 10 to 12 March. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP: Crutchlow on track with a special Yamaha 60th anniversary livery       

"When I respond to someone on social media, it&rsquo;s not as important to me as it is to others&rdquo; comments the Majorcan

MotoGP, Jorge Lorenzo: “Social media debate? I like it”

        The diatribe between Jorge Lorenzo and the MotoGP riders regarding Cal Crutchlow&rsquo;s crash on day two of testing in Qatar continued late into the night. The catalyst for it all was a social media post from MotoGP.com that showed shots of the newly hired Yamaha test rider&rsquo;s crash. This led to a slew of comments, some taking Cal&rsquo;s side while Jorge Lorenzo headed up those on the other side of the fence. The catalyst              Visualizza questo post su Instagram  Un post condiviso da MotoGP (@motogp)      &ldquo;Crutchlow - read the original MotoGP.com post - wasn&rsquo;t the only one to be caught out by Turn two today. Several riders found themselves in the gravel as the sun came down and temperatures dropped. Thankfully all riders ok&rdquo;. This led to former Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo commenting with a snide: &ldquo;Told you so!&rdquo;, which then resulted in Cal&rsquo;s friend Jack Miller sticking up for the Brit. The Ducati factory rider told Lorenzo he should &lsquo;grow up&rsquo; but it was Aprilia rider Aleix Espargar&oacute; who then really weighed in. &ldquo;Better to be a good human than a champion!&rdquo;   I prefer to be good human than a champion! Love u Cal! ?? https://t.co/Wpq8YjeBYy &mdash; Aleix Espargar&oacute; (@AleixEspargaro) March 7, 2021    Aleix responded to the Majorcan&rsquo;s comment by expressing his own personal opinion: &ldquo;I prefer to be a good human than a champion&rdquo;, referencing the way Lorenzo often refers to himself as champion. &ldquo;Better to be both right? - replied Jorge - I assure you it&rsquo;s a wonderful sensation and hopefully one day you&rsquo;ll be able to try it too!&rdquo; It didn&rsquo;t end there, with the old and new &ldquo;classmates&rdquo; continuing to argue late into the night. As for Miller&rsquo;s &lsquo;stop being a child&rsquo; comments, Lorenzo responded with: &ldquo;What if you turn off the phone, stop doing stoppies and start winning some races? You&rsquo;re already 26. Focus on what&rsquo;s important and don&rsquo;t waste your talent&rdquo;&hellip;. And to think school has only just begun! Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, Jorge Lorenzo: &ldquo;We'll always miss Simoncelli&rdquo;       

A social media post about Cal Crutchlow&rsquo;s crash sparked debate between Lorenzo, Miller and Aleix Espargar&oacute;. So who started it?

MotoGP, vitriolic Lorenzo - Miller: “You’re already 26, think about winning!”

        Having been unable to make a deal that would see him test for Yamaha, Jorge Lorenzo is free of any contracts for the 2021 season. With time on his hands, the Majorcan looks back at his career while responding to his followers on Instagram. Barcelona 2009 and Mugello 2016  "Which was your favourite MotoGP season and why?", Jorge asked his fans. Some remembered his 2015 title win, the result of an amazing comeback that came to a head at Valencia. "It&rsquo;s true. I never give up&rdquo;, replied Lorenzo. Others cited 2009, when Valentino passed him at Barcelona: &ldquo;That was a race with an almost identical level of rider/bike competitiveness. Rossi won it in braking. A pity, but still an historic race&rdquo;. Jorge was able to win many other battles, like Mugello 2016 against Marc Marquez: &ldquo;Great, a duel between two titans that came to an unexpected end&rdquo;. And there is even mention of disappointment at Ducati: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m sorry too, a pity&rdquo;. It&rsquo;s impossible not to remember his rapid return following injury at Assen 2013: "Yes, I believe in miracles". Casey Stoner and Marco Simoncelli  Back to Ducati, and one fans recalls Casey Stoner&rsquo;s triumph in 2007: "I agree, pure talent&rdquo;, commented Lorenzo, singing the praises of the former Australian rider. And then there&rsquo;s a touching mention of Marco Simoncelli. &ldquo;In the good and bad, Marco was unique. Courage, talent and personality. We&rsquo;ll always miss him&rdquo;. Translated by Heather Watson Rossi: &ldquo;I don't race to pass the time. Retirement? I'll decide this summer&rdquo;       

The five-time world champion looks back at a few episodes of his career, from Barcelona 2009 to the 2015 title win, without forgetting Marco Simoncelli

MotoGP, Jorge Lorenzo: “We’ll always miss Simoncelli”

        The attitude of a rider says a lot. Their ability to react to unexpected occurrences makes all the difference, both on track and in life. Jorge Lorenzo confirms this, in an interview for Lamborghini. The Majorcan, who looks as if he won&rsquo;t be test riding in MotoGP this season, has bought himself a limited edition Aventador SVJ 63 Roadster and took the opportunity to talk about his very optimistic nature. "No one had ever done it" &ldquo;In every situation, at any time, you can view things negatively or positively. I always try to see the positive&rdquo;, says Jorge Lorenzo. &ldquo;When I was a rider, I was an optimist even in the worst situation, like when I broke by collarbone at Assen in 2013. I continued to think positively and said: &lsquo;Why not? Why can&rsquo;t I go back to Assen after surgery and try?&rsquo; &ldquo;I did it and thirty hours after the operation I finished fifth in the race. No one had ever done that. Simply because in my mind I was thinking: &lsquo;I can do it&rsquo;". "The faster you are..."  &ldquo;My goal on track and in competition is to win and to be as fast as possible. This is my aim. The faster you are, the more competitive you are&rdquo;, adds Lorenzo. The Majorcan also highlights what a stickler he is for the rules of the road when not on track. &ldquo;On the road it&rsquo;s different. On the road you have to move from one place to another, and I&rsquo;m in no hurry to be faster than what is normal&rdquo;, he adds. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m normally the passenger actually. But now I&rsquo;m very proud to have it&rdquo;, says Lorenzo in reference to his Aventador SVJ 63 Roadster. &ldquo;And I can&rsquo;t wait to drive it on the roads of Lugano&rdquo;. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, Lorenzo: &ldquo;Yamaha is no longer the most complete bike&rdquo;       

&ldquo;When I was a rider, I was an optimist even in the worst situation. At Assen, I raced thirty hours after surgery and finished fifth&rdquo; recalls Jorge Lorenzo

MotoGP, Lorenzo: “No one had ever done what I did at Assen in 2013”

Jorge Lorenzo has enjoyed an extended holiday in Dubai and has just returned to Lugano. &ldquo;I wanted to stay for 20 days, but we kept changing the return date because it was so nice and hot there&rdquo;, the Majorcan commented during an interview with Sky Sport. But in reality the entire 2021 season risks becoming a long holiday for Jorge Lorenzo, who has confirmed he&rsquo;s not doing any test riding.  &quot;It didn&rsquo;t work out with Aprilia&quot;   &ldquo;There was contact with Massimo Rivola, I&rsquo;ve been his friend since he was in Ferrari. We sat down but the negotiations didn&rsquo;t work out. They decided to stick with the riders they have. For now, my path as test rider is at a stand still&rdquo;.  Jorge Lorenzo doesn&rsquo;t seem too worried though. &ldquo;If I can&rsquo;t do it, I won&rsquo;t lose sleep over it. I have many projects in mind for the future, much calmer and less stressful than being a MotoGP rider, but exciting and new, and I finally have time to do them.  &ldquo;Another possible path is to do some commentary for TV and I don&rsquo;t rule out the possibility of offering my experience to a young rider, perhaps becoming a rider manager in the future&rdquo;, adds Lorenzo.  &quot;I&rsquo;ve always been a good test rider&quot;   Asked about what he thinks of the fact that Vi&ntilde;ales and Quartararo have often said that the last competitive Yamaha was that of 2016 (Lorenzo&rsquo;s last year at Yamaha), the Majorcan underlines his qualities as a test rider.  &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always been a very sensitive rider and can immediately understand whether new elements are good or bad. I&rsquo;ve had this sensitivity since I was little, because my dad had me riding many different bikes. Yamaha trusted in me up until 2016 and we came up with a very good evolution, with the idea of making the bike easy for the rider, not nervous but rider friendly.  &ldquo;When I moved to Ducati, other riders tried to develop this evolution, but I wouldn&rsquo;t know if the current Yamahas are better or worse than in 2016. Theoretically, they should be better, but from the outside, in comparison with other manufacturers, the Yamaha is no longer the most complete bike, as it was when I was there&rdquo;.  &quot;Rossi with Petronas came as a surprise&quot;   Jorge Lorenzo also touches on Rossi&rsquo;s move to Petronas.  &ldquo;Yamaha&rsquo;s decision to move Rossi to Petronas surprised me, I didn&rsquo;t expect it. Valentino continuing to race but not with a factory team never crossed my mind. But in the end little will change for Valentino. We&rsquo;ve seen that Quartararo and Morbidelli have scored similar, or better results than the factory bikes but, from a media standpoint, it&rsquo;s surprising news&quot;.  &quot;But in the end Yamaha must look to the future. I remember when I signed with Yamaha in 2007 for 2008, Yamaha needed a plan B, in case Valentino decided to move to F1 or stop racing. So Yamaha signed me and now that Valentino is 41, Yamaha has to look to the future and the future lies with the younger guys like Quartararo&rdquo;, continues Lorenzo.  MotoGP, Brivio reveals: &ldquo;Suzuki wanted Valentino Rossi&rdquo;  &quot;Ducati and Dovizioso, a successful marriage&quot;   Lastly, the Majorcan expresses his opinion about the split between Ducati and Dovizioso.  &ldquo;When a relationship breaks down, it&rsquo;s normal for there to be friction between the parties, each blames the other and there are always two versions of the story. Andrea defends his pride and image and Ducati does the same with Dall&rsquo;Igna&quot;.  &quot;I think it was a successful marriage, for both Andrea and Ducati, as they were back fighting for the title after a few years, so both parties should be happy. But internal friction, which we can&rsquo;t understand from the outside, clearly led to the separation&rdquo;, concludes Lorenzo.  Translated by Heather Watson  Chicho Lorenzo: &ldquo;Jorge beat Rossi in Yamaha despite the wall&rdquo; 

&ldquo;Rossi with Petronas came as a surprise, but I think little will change for him. Morbidelli and Quartararo were often quicker with the Petronas than the factory riders&rdquo;, the Majorcan added

MotoGP, Lorenzo: &ldquo;Yamaha is no longer the most complete bike&rdquo;

Via his YouTube channel Motogepeando, Chicho Lorenzo is once again pointing the finger at members of the MotoGP paddock. And who is his target this team? None other than the Yamaha team and Valentino Rossi during the period in which he put up a wall inside the blue garage. On the other side was Chicho&#39;s son Jorge...  &ldquo;Yamaha looked ridiculous&rdquo;   &ldquo;The Yamaha numbers are disappointing &ndash; comments Chicho Lorenzo &ndash; Over the last three years, the factory team has won four races. This year the official team won just one race, while the satellite team won six with two riders like Quartararo and Morbidelli, or rather riders without great experience. It cannot be that a satellite team, with less means, experience and support from Yamaha, has won more than the factory team with its veteran riders&rdquo;.  After saying his piece re the Iwata manufacturer&rsquo;s performance, Chicho Lorenzo continues to lambast the factory team with some hard-hitting words: &ldquo;The most important work Yamaha has done all year is justify the lack of results to the Japanese. It would have been easier to simply transfer the Petronas riders to the factory team. This year Yamaha has looked ridiculous with its factory team. They need fresh blood, new people with ideas and the will to succeed&rdquo;.&nbsp;  &ldquo;Jorge beat Rossi on track&rdquo;   Jorge&rsquo;s father then goes on to speak about his son, and his nine-year stint in the Yamaha garage as well as his move to Ducati: &ldquo;With the Yamaha, my son changed his references, doing everything differently in order to open the throttle earlier. He would brake a little earlier and get on the throttle already through the turn. With the Ducati this wasn&rsquo;t possible, so when he moved there he had to change his riding style. It&rsquo;s not easy to change your riding after nine years on the Yamaha&rdquo;.  Lastly, he refers to the problems in the garage with Valentino Rossi: &ldquo;What Rossi tried to do was wage a psychological war with Jorge &ndash; he concludes - in every possible way. He even put up a wall. But Jorge didn&rsquo;t care about any of that, because he beat him on track&rdquo;.  Translated by Heather Watson  MotoGP, Lorenzo: &ldquo;Trying to return had serious consequences for Marquez&rdquo; 

Lorenzo&rsquo;s father talks about the years in which his son and Valentino were in the Yamaha garage together: &ldquo;Rossi tried to wage a psychological war with Jorge&rdquo;

21 risultati per 'EN Jorge lorenzo'

Jorge Lorenzo: “Valentino Rossi would make you feel small”