How Jorge caught the world napping
Back when he was just a boy – rather a strange one but very, very fast – the Spanish used to call him ‘Round The Outside’. For obvious reasons. Lorenzo has earned a new nickname: ‘Up The Blind Side’. His switch from difficult Ducati to hair’s breadth Honda has taken everybody by surprise. It was in Mugello, where he took his first win since leaving Yamaha, that Jorge revealed not only that he was leaving Ducati, but that he would be returning “on a competitive bike”.
This triggered a frenzy of speculation, among a racing twitterati already dizzy from a wildly spinning silly season. Guessing who would go where seemed almost as important as the racing. For some people more so. This being Lorenzo, it was necessary to think the unthinkable. But only up to a point. With Suzuki already spoken for, and KTM and Aprilia not meeting the description “competitive”, there could be only one answer. Jorge was going back to Yamaha. A rumour that gelled still further when Yamaha didn’t rule out the notion of supplying its still notional satellite team with factory bikes.
So when the news broke days later that he was to join Marquez on Honda, there wasn’t anyone who wasn’t flabbergasted. I am in a minority in the so-called ‘MotoGP family’ (a sentimental misnomer that strives to unite the irreconcilable), because I seem to be about the only one who actually likes Lorenzo, and admires his independence. ‘Like’ might not be the right word. It’s not part of a GP journalist’s remit to like the riders, though it helps if you like racing. But there’s something I admire and others spurn about Lorenzo’s wilful selfishness. Something that befits, and marks him as, a great champion.
He’s struggled with the Desmo, but always promised he was learning. After leading a lot of laps then failing, now he’s won in typically imperious start-to-finish style.
‘He’ll be a thorn in the side of Marc Marquez’
Also typically Lorenzo, his win was for himself alone, and did little for Ducati (other than to cost them 24-million Euros and rob team-mate Dovizioso of five potentially crucial points). Just like he decided the best way to help Dovi at Valencia last year was to beat him.
Many believe his style is wrong for the Honda. We shall see. If nothing else, he’ll be a thorn in the side of Marquez. The team-mate from hell. That’ll be a novelty after the amenable Dani Pedrosa.