Meeting with Lorenzo Fellon during the test organized by Johann Zarco in Cartagena, who finds himself without a real opportunity for the 2026 season.
We continue our series of interviews conducted in Cartagena, as part of the track day organized by Johann zarco, with Lorenzo FellonA well-known figure in the Grand PrixThe young Frenchman competed in the Moto3 World Championship from 2021 to 2023 before moving to the Moto2 Junior World Championship with the SF Racing team, with whom he also rode last year.
After a difficult season, which he began just after recovering from a shoulder injury, he finds himself without a ride this year. While he has to deal with this unprecedented situation, his motivation remains strong and he continues to train to be ready to seize any opportunities that may arise.
Hello Lorenzo. We're meeting you in Cartagena, at the test session organized by Johann Zarco, to discuss your 2025 season and current projects. You grew up alongside Johann since your father, Laurent, became his coach and manager the year you were born in 2004. It had been a while since you'd last seen him at a track?
It was so kind of him to invite me. He knows what situation I'm in, and I'm really happy that he's helping me in any way he can, with gestures like this. We've always been close, ever since I was little; we have a great relationship. Unfortunately, things happened that were beyond my control. [the professional break between his father and Zarco in 2019, editor's note.]I was a bit too young to understand, but I'm glad I've re-established a good relationship with him. Last year I came to see him at Misano and Valencia, and we spent some time together. He has a wealth of experience; he's a rider who's always working on himself to try and improve despite the passing years, and that's what's so great about him. We manage to learn a lot from him because he has very interesting perspectives.
You alluded to your situation. What exactly is it?
For now, this is one of the first times in my short career that I am in a scenario without a signed contract for a season.
I imagine that to understand, we need to go back to your 2025 season. How did it go?
2025 wasn't easy, I had quite a few ups and downs. I would say I started the season a bit off my game because I had shoulder surgery at the end of 2024. That really prevented me from riding all winter and so I arrived at the first race of the Moto2 Junior World Championship in Estoril without having done too many kilometers on the bike.
It wasn't easy getting into the rhythm, but then it wasn't an easy season either. I had a lot of struggles, both with the bike and with myself as a rider. There were still some positive points during the season: qualifying sessions and practice sessions where we were quite fast with the equipment we had, so that was encouraging. I would have liked to achieve a slightly better result at the end of the year to try and showcase myself a bit more and to find more opportunities for the 2026 season.
Looking back, how do you analyze this season? What went wrong for you?
I think it's a combination of things. When you really want to give it your all but see, race after race, that you're still far behind despite the hard work in training, on the bike, physically, even mentally—I started working with a psychologist who helped me a lot—it's frustrating. In training and in my daily life, I saw improvements, but in the races, I was always missing something. I wasn't expecting it, because I had a good pace during practice, even against riders I raced against. I was posting the same lap times, but when the races started, I'd get overtaken and find myself further back than I expected. I think that definitely played a part, but despite everything, I always tried to make the best of what I had.
Unfortunately, I'm in a bit of a vicious cycle because, honestly, it's a sport that now requires a significant budget, and since 2024 I haven't had enough money for good equipment, so it's affecting my results. When I go to see more competitive teams, they tell me my results aren't good enough, so it's hard to take, especially coming from the World Championship. But despite the lack of opportunities right now, I'm continuing to train to be ready if any chance arises.
In an ideal scenario, what would you like to do?
I'd like to continue in Moto2 because I managed to make a good step forward in the last race, given the resources I had. But, honestly, I don't have enough budget for a full season. I think I have the option of staying with the same team, but my goal isn't to do the same thing for three seasons, and I know they don't either. The team helps me enormously, but unfortunately, it's a pretty ungrateful sport, even after so many sacrifices and so much hard work. It's not easy, so for now, I'm kind of going in blind. When you have a goal, you know what you need to work on and how you need to train, but it's hard to keep training with the same mindset when you don't know what the future holds.
After all, I'm only 21. Even if I don't find what interests me this year, I have to keep training. If an opportunity arises, if someone on a team misses a race, I have to try to be a substitute and get some good results to show what I can do. That would be ideal.
"Since it had been a long time since a Frenchman had arrived in Moto3, I think people expected a lot from me and I had a little trouble coping with that mentally." Lorenzo Fellon
When people think of young French drivers, your name comes up very quickly. Isn't that something that could work in your favor?
Unfortunately, there haven't been any French riders in the Moto3 category in recent years, and I think I made the mistake of trying to reach the World Championship too quickly, at 16. I think I should have done another season, at least in the Junior World Championship, to gain more experience, more confidence, and arrive a bit more mature in the world championship. It's easy to say now, but I think that's what I would do in hindsight. Since it had been a long time since a Frenchman had reached Moto3, I think people expected a lot from me, and I struggled a bit to handle that mentally; I wasn't level-headed enough.
Conversely, if you were to arrive at the World Championship today, do you think you would be much better able to manage it?
Yes, I think that with more experience you see things differently.
Some French riders have found themselves in the same situation you're in now. Lacking the budget, they've given up speed racing and turned to endurance racing. Is that something that would interest you, or do you currently only want to focus on speed racing?
I would like to get in touch with some endurance teams because there has been a whole generation of drivers who have gone there, there are a lot of French drivers and it could be the time to bring in a new wave, with young drivers, like what Hugo de Cancellis is doing for example.
It's true that I'd like to stay in the world of speed, which I've always known, but if I find myself without opportunities, it's a solution I can consider because ultimately, what I love is riding and being on a motorcycle. Of course, if the opportunity arose, I would try it and give it my all.
Lorenzo Fellon Lorenzo Fellon Lorenzo Fellon