Marco Bezzecchi
Three-time MotoGP world champion Jorge Lorenzo has been out of a full-time ride in the sport for the best part of a decade now, and has shared whether he would still be competitive if he were to return to the premier class grid.
As the only rider to beat every member of MotoGP’s fantastic four, plus Marc Marquez, in a straight title fight, Jorge Lorenzo holds a unique status in premier class folklore.
Unfortunately, injury would hinder the Spaniard’s longevity in the sport. After Lorenzo suffered a fractured vertebra during the 2019 season, the three-time world champion felt like it was a good time to call it a day, announcing his intention to retire shortly after.
Lorenzo has since warned Marquez about the dangers of defying the inevitable, with the seven-time MotoGP title-winner also falling foul of some serious injuries during recent years.
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Jorge Lorenzo believes he still has the skill to compete in MotoGP, but lacks the physique
In a recent interview with Marca, Lorenzo was asked for his thoughts on whether he would be competitive if he returned to racing in the premier class.
The Spaniard retired following his worst-ever season in MotoGP at 32 years old, the same age that Marc Marquez was when he secured his seventh title last season.
Now 38 years old, Lorenzo doesn’t believe he would still be able to compete with the very best, replying, “In the veterans’ category, yes, but no, it’s impossible.
“More than age, which, as Rossi showed, you could more or less hold your own until 40 or 42, it’s the act of quitting. If you quit for a year, when you come back, you’ve lost almost everything.
“It’s like footballers. You see Ronaldinho in the legends [games], and he hasn’t lost his touch or his skill; he’s lost his physique.
“I’m capable of doing a lap and being two or three seconds behind the fastest, but that’s it. By lap 20, I’d be five or six seconds behind.”
Lorenzo was then asked if he misses racing, to which he answered, “I miss winning. There are athletes who love their sport and are passionate about it. I’m a lover of victory.
“I liked motorcycles; it was what I was best at, but more than that, I loved winning. I was born with an ultra-competitive gene, and I wanted to be the best.”
- READ MORE: Marc Marquez’s former team principal explains how his ‘attitude’ cost him an eighth MotoGP title
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Valentino Rossi has been told by his former engineer that he retired too late
As alluded to by Lorenzo, Rossi displayed that one could continue to compete in the premier class well into their forties, but he also showcased how that doesn’t mean that one would be competitive.
In fact, former Honda engineer Juan Martinez believes Rossi retired a little bit too late, highlighting how The Doctor simply wasn’t the same rider as the one who won nine world titles over the course of his illustrious Grand Prix motorcycle racing career.
On the other hand, one rider who may have retired too early is Casey Stoner. The Australian announced his intentions to move on from life on the MotoGP grid at just 27 years old.
He won two world titles from just seven seasons, making the potential of what he could have achieved with a longer career one of the biggest ‘what-ifs’ in premier class history.
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