Valencia GP – MotoGP riders’ reactions to Jorge Lorenzo’s departure –

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MotoGP riders’ reactions to Jorge Lorenzo’s departure

Valencia GP - MotoGP riders' reactions to Jorge Lorenzo's departure -

Jorge Lorenzo’s withdrawal from motorcycle competition has been at the center of all discussions since his official announcement on Thursday afternoon, ahead of the 2019 Valencia GP. Reactions from the opponents of the three-time MotoGP world champion. 

Some say they are surprised by Lorenzo’s withdrawal, because they are convinced of his intention to honor his two-year contract with Honda-Repsol as the Mallorcan claimed to want to do. Others are not surprised by its choice, which is inevitable given its results: a factory RCV cannot continue to occupy the last places..

  • MNC of November 14, 2019:
  • MNC of November 15, 2019 :

All agree in any case to recognize his immense talent and the exceptional character of his career in Grand Prix, long eighteen seasons and marked out by five world titles including three in MotoGP with Yamaha. Jorge Lorenzo’s rivals have also shown sincere admiration for his qualities as a driver … starting with his "old friend", Valentino Rossi !

"Jorge is one of the most important riders of the modern era," said the Doctor, who was Lorenzo’s Yamaha teammate for seven seasons sportingly. "I think we are losing a great figure in our sport: he often impressed me and from his arrival in MotoGP he was very fast (to the point of making Rossi demand a wall between their boxes, editor’s note).

The years and the pilots pass, Rossi remains !

The transalpine, honest, recognizes however that this long cohabitation does not involve only happy memories and is even sometimes marred by deep "differences", in particular during the heartbreaking episodes of the end of season 2015 and the conflicts between Rossi, Marquez and Lorenzo following the Sepang clash…

 Valencia GP - MotoGP riders' reactions to Jorge Lorenzo's departure -

"Jorge was one of my biggest rivals and we delivered some sacred races against each other (like the unforgettable 2009 Catalan GP that Rossi ranks among his favorites, Editor’s note), prefers to retain the Italian who trained with Lorenzo the most powerful Yamaha duo in MotoGP (five titles from 2008 to 2015). 

"It’s a shame, but I wish him the best for his future", concludes Valentino Rossi who will have seen a whole generation of "young shoots" hatch and wither (!), However six to eight years younger: Casey Stoner, Dani Pedrosa and Jorge Lorenzo.

Rossi wants to recruit Lorenzo to develop the M1 !

And concerning Jorge Lorenzo’s future plans, in fact, Valentino Rossi offers half-smiling half-serious an ideal conversion: "I would like to have him as a test pilot, he is very fast and could help us! Honestly, in my opinion, if Lorenzo came back to the M1, he would be strong: I will try to suggest it to him! ".

 Valencia GP - MotoGP riders' reactions to Jorge Lorenzo's departure -

Under cover of a zest of humor, this statement is not to be taken lightly: Yamaha indeed wants to abolish its program of tests delegated to European riders, to the chagrin of the German Jonas Folger. who thought of returning to this new structure launched last year !

But Yamaha headquarters would ultimately like the development of the M1 to come back to its Japanese testers. This decision displeases Rossi, who had put all his weight in recruiting drivers capable of driving fast like Honda does with Bradl, Ducati with Pirro, Suzuki with Guintoli and KTM with Pedrosa. !

While waiting for the situation to clear up, MNC notes with interest that the potential shutdown of this "European test team" strangely coincides with the merger of a certain Johann Zarco and Honda-LCR…

"Acting in this way shows your strength of character"

Coming back to Lorenzo, his teammate Marc Marquez also spoke positively about his withdrawal. The reigning world champion retains his professionalism, even though his absolute dominance on the same bike is undoubtedly not unrelated to the slow moral decline of the Mallorcan… 

 Valencia GP - MotoGP riders' reactions to Jorge Lorenzo's departure -

"There was nothing to suggest in the way he worked that he would take such a decision, because he had the same approach as at the start of the season," recalls Marc Marquez, who remembers with a smile that Jorge Lorenzo had urged him to watch more food in 2010 at a dinner organized in honor of their respective titles (125 cc for Marquez, MotoGP for Lorenzo) !

"Acting in this way shows his strength of character, whether it’s on the track or elsewhere," said the eight-time world champion. "Since he was no longer able to fight at the forefront, he decided to quit: he’s a real champion. I wish him all the best for the future.".

"Lorenzo can be proud of his career"

Andrea Dovizioso also retains great memories of his battles against Lorenzo. And for good reason: the Italian and the Mallorcan made their debut together and then crossed swords in all categories, with a climax in the 250 cc category..

 Valencia GP - MotoGP riders' reactions to Jorge Lorenzo's departure -

"I met Jorge in 2001 within the framework of the European Championship: every time I changed category, he too. Suffice to say that we have always been great rivals", remembers "Dovi", who has for elsewhere rode the same bikes as Lorenzo in MotoGP: the Yamaha M1 at Tech3, the Honda RC213V at the HRC and the Ducati Desmosedici in the official team! Clearly "twinned" trajectories !

"He has won a lot in the world championship and can frankly be proud of his career. But recently he went through more difficult times … I think those repeated falls have affected his motivation somewhat. However, it is just enormous what he did ", wishes to point out the Italian, who remembers having cried when he was younger when Lorenzo beat him … and vice versa !

"We still cried a lot when we lost at that time, often up to the podium!" Laughs the 2019 vice-world champion, who does not hide feeling a page turn with the departure of a rival from the same age (Dovizioso is 33 years old)…

"He felt it was time"

On the side of the younger pilots, the memories of the battles on the tracks are inevitably less numerous, but not the tributes. In particular, Maverick Viñales notes that "winning five world championship titles is not easy, and yet he did".

 Valencia GP - MotoGP riders' reactions to Jorge Lorenzo's departure -

"Jorge was a reference for me when I started watching the races, not to say my idol," said his compatriot Alex Rins. "He’s won a bunch of races and frankly I’m proud to have been able to share the track with him".

For Franco Morbidelli, Jorge Lorenzo will have had a "magnificent career and magnificent results, with his own style. He was one of the best drivers and I regret that he retires". The last word goes to his young teammate Fabio Quartararo, whose fluid and devilishly efficient riding style on the Yamaha is often compared to that of Jorge Lorenzo…. 

"Jorge has always been an example for me, a pilot from whom I have taken a lot of inspiration. He’s a legend," said Fabio to Canal +. "He decided to stop, so I’m really happy to have done a year in MotoGP with him."

The newbie of the year even illustrates this admiration by posting on social networks the photo above where he poses as a young boy alongside Lorenzo in the paddocks of Le Mans: "Thank you, professor", comments the French driver..

Thank you, indeed, Mr. Lorenzo.

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