MotorcycleDaily.com – Motorcycle News, Editorials, Product Reviews and Bike Reviews

Motorcycle News, Editorials, Product Reviews and Bike Reviews

Honda Poised to Announce Signing of Jorge Lorenzo as Teammate of Marc Marquez, According to Several Reports

On the heels of his dominant win at Mugello Sunday, Jorge Lorenzo has reportedly agreed to become the teammate of Marc Marquez on the Repsol Honda Team beginning next year. According to this report, and others, Honda and Lorenzo have signed a two-year deal worth approximately $10 million, before bonuses. Earlier today, Honda announced that Dani Pedrosa was leaving the team at the end of the year.

Lorenzo, as a three-time MotoGP champ, would join four-time champion Marquez (Marquez may have five titles before this year is over). Stay tuned as we look for an official announcement from Honda.


See more of MD’s great photography:

Instagram


39 Comments

  1. Tarquin says:

    Think of all the money Honda will save now that both riders can sleep in the same bed…

  2. Vrooom says:

    Well these two are going to get together like peas in a hammock in a cabana.

  3. Ericstraordinary says:

    So, who takes Lorenzo’s spot at Ducati? Petrucci?

  4. Neil says:

    Sure is gonna be fun. Jorge back on a competitive machine. I think it’ll be good for him and Marc Marquez. They’ll be following each other around. He might even be able to win a championship on it.

    • Anonymous says:

      You don’t think the Ducati is competitive, huh?

      • fred says:

        Up until now, for Lorenzo, the Ducati has not been capable of winning. If by competitive you mean leading laps and a few podiums, yes, it’s competitive. If you mean capable on winning regularly, no.

        If (and it’s a big IF) Ducati keeps giving Jorge the best equipment available, the remaining 13 races for 2018 will be terrific. I don’t think we are going to have to wait until 2019 to see great racing.

    • Vrooom says:

      Dovizioso sure makes the Ducati look competitive, and Lorenzo just won a race on one. However it’s clear that it doesn’t suit him like the Yamaha did.

  5. Fred says:

    HRC has prided itself on NOT building bikes in the image of then lead rider.
    The basis being that any capable rider could ride their GP bike and they would not be held to ransom to him. This being exemplified by Casey Stoner and that Ducati with the fibre frame chassis that only he could master.
    This being true, George Lorenzo could be a master stroke for HRC as I believe George will take to the Honda from day 1 soon after the bike is stretched for him to fit it.
    Both MM and Pedrosa are very vertically challenged, and that is Jorga’s initial problem.
    Just look what Crasher Crutchlow can do with a satellite Honda GP bike and Jorga will be on the very top level bike.
    MM will have had a sleepless night on hearing this news.

    • Anonymous says:

      Yeah and Jack Miller found that the Ducati was way easier to ride than the Honda.

    • viktor2 says:

      I think MM is a much more flexible rider, so if Honda doesn’t make a bike that suits JL better, he may find the same problems that faced on Ducati…

  6. 5229 says:

    Beware MotoGP racers. Just what Marquez needs, a little bit more motivation. Brilliant move by HONDA. What a 1-2 punch!

  7. joe b says:

    When Stoner returned to Honda from Ducati, he was quick right off. Some said, the Honda, fit him like an “old shoe”. When Lorenzo, comes to Honda, it will be similar I’d bet. Lorenzo will be quick right away, and I think the Marquez / Lorenzo team will be a powerhouse. If, Yamaha doesnt figure it out by then, and Ducati finds out, what they did to fix it for Lorenzo, doesnt work for others.

    • Vrooom says:

      I’d say the Ducati works for Dovi, Miller and Petrucci fairly well. Honda will have a strong team of two riders that like to work together.

      • joe b says:

        The Ducati works well, when the track has long straights. If it wasnt for the fact they had wrote the language for the black box, and politics made everyone else drop what they had and use Ducati’s, it would be different. Like Stoner, one week hot, one week cold. Yamaha seems to be going in the same direction, even with Vinales and Rossi riding. Interesting to read, Ducati finally listened to Lorenzo, changed what he wanted, finally. For sure, it will be interesting. Will the Ducati now be competitive at all events, with the new gastank? Is the new gastank, the magic wand for the others? we will see.

  8. VLJ says:

    While I doubt Marc fears anyone, this has to come as welcome news because it means that he won’t have to worry about Lorenzo next year. It’s one thing to have to deal with a Jorge Lorenzo who may have finally come to grips with the fastest bike on the track, which is what Marc would have been faced with had Jorge stayed put on the Ducati. Instead, he’s getting at least a one-year honeymoon while Jorge again attempts to come to grips with another completely new bike; one that is the polar opposite of his old dialed-in Yamaha, or the straight-line missile Ducati.

    In trying to hang with his maniacal teammate, Lorenzo is going to crash a LOT next year. His frustration will surpass anything he felt at Ducati, as Marc absolutely buries him on the same bike.

    • xLaYN says:

      “In trying to hang with his maniacal teammate, Lorenzo is going to crash a LOT next year. His frustration will surpass anything he felt at Ducati, as Marc absolutely buries him on the same bike.”

      Gold… you are correct… it’s going to feel dying to be unable to win on a proven bike… that’s also used by the reigning champion…

      What are the odds of JL adapting?

      if he doesn’t it’ll may be a good time to retire.

  9. Hot Dog says:

    “Planet Earth to Mickey, do you read?”

    • mickey says:

      mickey can’t come to the phone right now, he is in mourning.

    • VLJ says:

      Hot Dog, think about it…

      mickey’s favorite rider, replaced on mickey’s favorite team by mickey’s least favorite rider.

      Not a good day for mickey. Not good at all.

      Hopefully mickey at least had a nice ride today.

      • Pacer says:

        This could be good news for the Pedrobot. If he ends up on a current facory Yamaha he may excel. The M1 has issues using up tires. The Pedrobot is easy on tires. Next year is going to be interesting.

  10. fred says:

    It’s a shame Ducati took so long to give Jorge a bike he could win on. If the reports are right, next year’s Honda team should give us some terrific racing.

    Even though I like Jorge and dislike Valentino, it was good to see them smiling together on the podium and in interviews. It is good for the sport.

    I can’t see any bitterness between Marc and Jorge. If Honda give both of them competitive bikes, the two of them could continue to take all the championships for several years.

    The rest of 2018 should be great, as long as the factories don’t cripple the bikes for their lame duck riders. 2019 & 2020 are looking great as well.

    It’s a good time to like motorcycle racing.

    • Pacer says:

      Lorenzo and Marquez get along pretty good. Remember Marquez the blocker (I’m a Rossi fan ๐Ÿ˜ฌ). Plus they are both Spanish. Communication in your native tongue can’t hurt either.

      • fred says:

        If you are a typical vocal Rossi fan, you hate them both, so it makes it easier to just hate one team, instead of having to hate riders on different teams. At least next year and the year after.

        This year, both Marc and Jorge will beat Rossi on a regular basis, even on different teams. And they won’t have to block to do it. ๐Ÿ™‚

        • Pacer says:

          Hate is for those who have no peace. (Quite Zen right๐Ÿ˜‰?) Truth is I just love good racing, and you gotta root for someone. Watching Marquez be Marquez is a treat, but Rossi has heart. At 39 he is still a player, and all in. I respect that.

          Also, once I was at a party and someone gave me some electric orange Kool-Aid. Lovin the fact that KTM is looking good for next year. Let the flames begin.๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿคฃ

          • fred says:

            Well spoken, friend. I wish all race fans had that attitude.

            I really dislike Rossi, for a number of reasons, but even surprised myself by being pleased to see him take 3rd last week. In spite of his, shall we say, shortcomings, he is putting in an amazing effort. To do so at 39 is quite impressive.

            We seem to have been so caught up in the silly season that we have forgotten that there are 13 races left this year.

            Marc won’t fade or collapse like Maverick did last year, but now that Jorge appears to be in the hunt, there should be some good races this year.

            Too much of it is down to Michelin’s tire allocation being unpredictable, but now both Ducati riders are capable of winning.

            Both Yamaha’s have a chance if weather, track, and tires align.

            Suzuki is unlikely to win, but can challenge for podiums semi-regularly.

            KTM is still making progress, and even Aprilia is working hard.

            The satellite bike’s are contenders on occasion.

            Long-winded way of saying that the rest of 2018 should be exciting.

          • Pacer says:

            I should say that 10 years ago I held Rossi in the same regard as I hold Marquez today. After he took it on the chin at Ducati everyone said he was done. I like the fact that he is still digging.

            Now I have NEVER rooted for Lorenzo until last weekend. Gotta respect the fact that he just suck with it. Iannone could learn something from that. I am concerned that this soft spot for Lorenzo might grow. My doctor says it will most likely heal, but we are keeping an eye on it.

    • Vrooom says:

      There’s definitely no bitterness between Jorge and Marquez, they’ve run interference for each other when on different teams. They’ll be quite happy on the same team. I suspect both growing up in the Spanish racing system had them acquainted long before they both made it to GP.

  11. TwinDog says:

    Ha ha – wow. Didn’t see that one coming.

  12. Hot Dog says:

    One big fat Honda thumb into Yamaha’s eye. You can’t even make this kind of stuff up.

  13. Superlight says:

    First Lorenzo and Rossi, now Lorenzo and Marquez. Apparently Lorenzo likes to go to teams where he’ll be second fiddle. Honda isn’t about to build a team around him.

    • Jeremy in TX says:

      I don’t think he would have done this unless he thought he has what it takes to challenge for the championship.

    • Delmartian says:

      When Lorenzo and Rossi became Yamaha teammates, Lorenzo didn’t stay second fiddle for long.

      • Dirck Edge says:

        Youโ€™re right. Jorge was not second fiddle. Marquez has said many times that Lorenzo was untouchable at Yamaha on given Sundays … sort of like last Sunday at Mugello.

  14. Tex-Scout says:

    Once they announced Pedrosa was gone this was a given…

  15. MGNorge says:

    Who would have thunk?

wordscape cheatgun mayhem 2 unblocked gameshttps://agar.chat/agariopaperio.network