Right now, there's a lot of talk about Jorge Lorenzo, particularly his collaboration with Maverick Viñales. In this column, I've never hidden my admiration for this rider. It's clear that nowadays, riders like him are a rare breed, which is quite unfortunate.
Perfect piloting?
Let's start there. Lorenzo was, above all, an unparalleled talent. His flawless riding allowed him to achieve incredible feats. On a good day, nobody could do anything against "Por fuera," and many tried and failed. Broadly speaking, his style consisted of a pure, seamless form, resulting in a breathtaking cornering speed.The qualities of the Yamaha crossplane inline four-cylinder engine made him untouchable in the corners. Jorge could complete every lap in the same spot, and this was particularly striking from the side of the track. His consistency is something to study in every racing school, always within the same tenth of a second over more than twenty laps.
It's quite underrated, but close-quarters combat was actually one of its strengths. Photo: Box Repsol
Metronome-like qualities that he was able to adapt to Bridgestone tires and the single ECU in 2016 (victories in Qatar, Le Mans and Mugello in style, among others), but also to the Ducatiwhich, once adjusted to his liking, was a contender for victory. When everything was going well and he was on one of his favorite circuits, it was virtually impossible to overtake him. Moreover, between 2009 and 2015, everyone tried and failed, and no one really found the solution. Of course, things could go wrong when the weekend didn't go his way, especially in the rain after his accident at Assen in 2013.But overall, he had no weaknesses; intrinsic speed (qualifying as well as race pace), overtaking (a very underrated aspect of his profile), strong on the brakes, but also on acceleration, one of the best race IQs of all time… he was ahead of his time. Today, many drivers possess similar characteristics, and Lorenzo is easily found in Quartararo, Bagnaia and Martín.
A polished image
The main difference between Lorenzo and all current riders lies here. Lorenzo, undoubtedly inspired by Valentino Rossi, was very focused on aesthetics. As a result, he developed a strong, distinctive visual style that was easy to identify with. We can review it, starting with its distinctive symbol: a cross surrounded by an arrow.These markings date back to another era, when Grand Prix drivers (motorcycles and cars) would affix a distinctive signature to their helmets for immediate recognizability, without sponsors. This emblem, the "Por fuera" ("from the outside" in English), commemorated his sensational overtaking maneuver during the 2003 Brazilian Grand Prix, where he caught several drivers on the outside.
Then, the lore Lorenzo expands with the Mamba, that very dangerous snake that inspired basketball legend Kobe Bryant. He released two versions of his reptile-themed helmets a few years later: the "Black Mamba" and the "Green Mamba".Overall, only Rossi rivals him with his helmet designs. We're not counting the space references, with, needless to say, the " Lorenzo moon ", directly copied from the design of an astronaut's helmet, and reused in Indianapolis in 2015 for a second version. The development of this universe continues until the establishment of a philosophy, namely the "hammer and the butter", or " hammer and butter "In Spanish. Lorenzo wanted to be as flexible as butter, but also as hard as a hammer when it came to delivering a blow to the entire grid. A symbolism that may have inspired Lewis Hamilton and his "Hammer time." We can't even mention its celebrations., each as iconic as the next, of the " man on the moon "From Laguna Seca to the moviegoer at Le Mans. Today, drivers think less about shaping their image, which is a shame, because it helps to create strong memories in the minds of fans, and to last even after retirement." Jorge did not simply pass through the years; he did more than that, leaving his original mark on an era.
So, admittedly, it was a bit copied from Rossi, but he had this strong personality from the 250cc era.
His character
Nowadays, many lament the lack of rivalry in MotoGPMoreover, we will return to this question soon, as we consider it particularly important. Lorenzo had a unique character; he didn't want to please everyone and didn't care about being seen as the villain. His rivalry with Rossi (undoubtedly the most adored rider in the history of Grand Prix racing) is still fresh in everyone's minds. But this was only possible thanks to Jorge's talent, on the one hand, but also to his character. Indeed, Valentino found his perfect nemesis in Lorenzo.
Unlike Márquez, "Por Fuera" did not hesitate to needle Vale' on his own turf, in press conferences, in front of everyone. Booed on every stage, he didn't care, and embraced the role of the villain perfectly.This almost theatrical aspect generated passion, as we felt like we were witnessing a battle of giants given the level of competition. This controlled arrogance, coupled with a hint of bad faith, enhanced the MotoGP spectacle. which is not just a matter of exceeding limits.
It is for this same reason that Rossi has always respected Lorenzo, and that the two "officially" reconciled after the 2018 Catalan Grand Prix. Today, almost ten years later, I think I can say that this rivalry is one of the greatest in the history of motorsport, not just because Rossi and Lorenzo traded blows on the track; Jorge rose up, alone against everyone, facing the greatest.
Here are some things that can help you understand who Jorge Lorenzo was, and more. We haven't even talked about his incredible track record, of his injured exploits (Le Mans 2008, Assen 2013, among others) or of his other great rivalry with Dani Pedrosa, which is much deeper.
Tell me what you thought of Jorge Lorenzo in the comments!
Mugello 2016, for me his best race. Photo: Michelin Motorsport
Cover photo: Box Repsol
