De Jesus Sanchez Santos / Motosan.es
At Motosan we had the opportunity to interview Jorge Lorenzo. The five-time world champion, always very sincere in his statements, gave details of his negotiations with Ducati and his opinion on how he sees this MotoGP season.
Hello Jorge, we see through your social networks that you are having fun in Lugano, while you are doing physical training, the first thing is to know, how are you finding your new life after leaving the competition?
Jorge Lorenzo : " I am very happy and above all very relaxed in my new life. Remember, I've been riding a motorcycle since I was three years old and I've been a professional since I was 15. These are many years where I experienced very good things, but also where I had to make a lot of sacrifices that you cannot perceive from the outside. Right now, I have all the time in the world to do the activities I love, almost every day of the year, and most importantly I can decide what I want to do and what I don't want to do. When I'm at home, I train in the morning and have the afternoons free for myself. »
Focusing on the current state of MotoGP, what do you think of the equality that reigns in the category, with the absence of Marc Márquez?
« I agree with Stoner on the lack of a leader or dominator in the category. Marc was the clear leader and now the only one to have repeated a victory is Quartararo, although he has scored very few points since then. Many drivers now believe they can win races and they do… »
You know what it's like to return to competition after an operation, like in Assen, where you finished fifth less than 48 hours after fracturing your collarbone. What do you think of Marc Márquez's performance in Jerez and the consequences that followed?
« I've had a few experiences like this and most of them have gone well for me, apart from the Sachsenring in 2013. When asked for my opinion on Márquez's return before the race, I said that when we decide to take certain risks, we must accept that things can go wrong. Unfortunately, Márquez took a bad hit, although I have to admit I didn't expect it. »
We have seen in the last races that KTM is already a winning bike. To what extent do you think Dani Pedrosa was “responsible” for this development?
« We can't be sure because we'll never know what would have happened if Dani hadn't been at the factory. The only thing I can assure you is that Dani has always been one of the most technical and sensitive riders in the world. In addition, his experience of racing and winning, in all categories with different bikes, allows him to know what it takes to win races. Another thing is that KTM is able to translate all these new ideas into reality and it works well. But it seems that was the case... »
It could be that Dovizioso is MotoGP champion and he won't have a bike next year. Do you think the transfer market should be regulated, with a window like in football, to make fairer decisions that do not interfere with competition?
« Well, regulations are always changed with the intention of improving them, even if the best compromise is not always reached or found. With the rules that are there and the cards that are there, you have to try to play your best game: Sometimes it will be good and sometimes it will be bad. In this case, I don't see a good enough reason to need to change this area. And the one who tells you that is someone who maybe isn't racing with Ducati right now, because he didn't get that first victory in 2018 a few weeks earlier... »
In recent weeks, controversy has centered around arbitrary sanctions imposed on riders for leaving the track, sometimes yes, sometimes no. How do you think this could be resolved?
« There is no perfect solution. They started putting asphalt loopholes in place for F1, which helped prevent a lot of retirements, both in cars and motorbikes, because it's easier to get back on track. This solution also brought disadvantages, such as the fact that motorcycles are more difficult to stop in the event of a fall. Judges also have a lot more work, more opportunities to make mistakes and make unfair decisions. Like in soccer, a referee/judge can make a mistake, and if that happens, you just have to accept it as part of the game. Right now, I don't see any other solution than, like in soccer , to go to a sort of post-race “VAR”, to evaluate a posteriori the actions which are not clear. I wouldn't go back to the old loopholes. »
Jorge Martin suffered the harshest penalty when he lost victory in the second race in Austria. Now he is not in Misano because he tested positive for Covid-19. What do you think, as an elite athlete, pilots should do to be as safe as possible?
« Your career should be your priority, and you should be aware that this championship is special in the sense that it is shorter and more compact. Unlike a normal championship where mistakes can be cheaper to pay for and there is more time between races, in this one an absence due to injury, or in this case for having contracted Covid-19, can eliminate you directly from the fight for the championship. If your goal is to win the championship, no precautions should hurt you. I don't know if Jorge Martin could have prevented it more or if it was just bad luck. »
Yamaha went from dominating at Jerez to struggling a lot afterwards, especially in Austria. Do you think that despite the weak point of top speed, this is a bike to win the World Championship?
« The bike is here to win the world championship and this is demonstrated by the fact that it is the bike that has achieved the most victories so far. But to win a world championship, all the pieces have to fit together, those of the rider, the bike and the team. I hope they can make it happen, I would be very happy. »
At the press conference, Rossi and Quartararo publicly stated that they didn't understand how they could have you as a test driver, and that you weren't driving more this year.
« From what Yamaha told me, there were some issues originating in Japan that prevented the test team's mechanics and technicians from traveling to Europe. »
Many fans around the world would like to see you on track, and there was talk of a possibility with Ducati for 2021: What was the truth and what was the rumor in all this…
« As I said the other day, it was a possibility that almost came to fruition: The reason it didn't happen was because at the last moment I backed out. »
What do you think of Tardozzi's comments who indicated that you had misunderstood Ducati's intentions and that in reality there was no offer?
« I understand their position of not admitting something that doesn't benefit the team, because in the end it won't be me racing for them, but other drivers. But I will also not allow my word to be doubted or to be seen as someone who is trying to invent or modify reality. If there is one thing that has characterized me during my career, for good or for bad, it is the sincerity of my words, a credibility that I have acquired over the years, by being so honest and transparent as possible. The negotiation existed and did not materialize because in the end I changed my mind. This was the case and Gigi (Dall'Igna), Tardozzi and the people who should have known it know it. Negotiation existed, it is something as certain as the earth is round. »
Read the original article on Motosan.es
