Jorge Lorenzo recalls his failure to return to Ducati. Two attempts at rapprochement by the team from Borgo Panigale.
Jorge Lorenzo and Ducati ended their contract together after the 2017-2018 two-year period, with no possibility of renewing the partnership. When the Majorcan started to ring in results riding the Desmosedici GP it was now too late to think about a new signing, because the transfer market games were over. Jorge had already found an understanding with Alberto Puig and the team Repsol Hondathe top management of Borgo Panigale had decided to focus on the cheaper Danilo Petrucci.
After all, it was in those years Andrea Dovizioso to act as the spearhead of the Ducati factory team, three times vice-champion, but without the possibility of really undermining the world throne at the time firmly in the hand of Marc Marquez and the HRC. Jorge Lorenzo had been a cue from Gigi Dall’Igna, general manager of Ducati Corse, with whom he had already worked in the days of the 250cc class in Aprilia. And it was the engineer from Veneto who was the main architect of the double attempt to bring the five-time world champion back to red livery.
Jorge Lorenzo and the failure to return to Ducati
It was the Majorcan champion himself who spoke of the failed new agreement between Ducati and the rider during an interview with Cadena SER. “Both in 2019 and in 2020 and in 2021 I had two opportunities to return to Ducati“said Jorge Lorenzo. “But at the last moment I didn’t feel motivated enough and I backed off. I think I made the best decision, because I had more to lose than to gain.”.
A bitter taste remains in the mouth for not being able to establish himself as world champion with the Ducati, but now the time was no longer ripe to try again after that disappointing 2019 championship with Repsol Honda. Too many injuries, morale was starting to drop, it was useless to push mind and body beyond certain limits, especially in light of the five World Cups won in his career. He no longer had anything to prove to anyone, so it was better to devote himself to other projects and change his lifestyle.
In the Covid 2020 season, Jorge Lorenzo he also tried to fill the role of test rider for Yamaha, but in one year he clocked up very few kilometers on the M1. Hence the decision to change my life, start enjoying other pleasures and other things and I did well”. Perhaps nothing would have changed with a return to Ducati, because it was only from 2021 that the Rossa di Borgo Panigale became the predominant bike that everyone is now chasing: “With today’s bike, the results would have been much better“, concluded the five-time winner.
