Bittersweet sign-off for Lorenzo
Jorge Lorenzo says his leaving Ducati is bittersweet after two tough years. Unable to deliver a title challenge, he did at least stand on the top step three times in 2018. Sunday’s Valencia race brought his time to an ignominious end as he came home 12th.
While he might have had a strong mid-season, outscoring every rider on the grid as he romped to a series of wins and podiums in June, July and August, he still leaves Ducati with regrets. Cutting short his time as both sides failed to agree terms to extend his deal beyond two seasons, he says he’s leaving knowing he could have done great things. “You have to be sad, because the real goal was to do what Casey did in
O ‘The real goal was to do what Casey did in 2007 and win the title’
2007 and win the title. If I was staying, I could have been competitive from the first race next season and not the middle like this year.
“But there are positives. The first victory in Mugello was special, in Italy on an Italian bike; I just missed out on the whole set by being Spanish! But it was a special victory because it arrived after a season and a half of struggling.” With the Spaniard jumping onto a Repsol Honda machine for the first time this week, it remains to be seen what will come in the future. Now facing the same challenges of two years ago in adapting his riding style to a radically different machine, fans will be watching with bated breath to see how long this switch will take the fivetime world champion.