MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo Returns To Yamaha

5 time World Champion Jorge Lorenzo will return to Yamaha as their European test rider for the 2020 season. Lorenzo won all 3 of his MotoGP championships for the Japanese manufacturer in 2010, 2012 and 2015, his final year was in 2016 where he made the decision to join Ducati Team for 2017.

He made his debut in 2008 joining the then 7-time world champion Valentino Rossi which would become a legendary rivalry, with the pair not always seeing eye to eye in their 9 seasons together. Jorge Lorenzo won 44 races and took 39 pole positions between 2008 and 2016, with his smooth style and fast cornering speed on the M1 becoming a well-noted feature within the MotoGP Paddock.

One of the most memorable moments at Yamaha was the duel between Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi at the Catalan Grand Prix in 2009, where the duo battled till the very last corner.

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“I was planning on staying involved in MotoGP and returning to the paddock, and I think this is a suitable role for me.”

Jorge Lorenzo took to social media to announce the news saying; “I’m very happy with the decision to join the Yamaha Factory Test Team. I was always planning on staying involved in MotoGP and returning to the paddock, and I think this is a suitable role for me.

I know the team and the M1 well. The Yamaha really suited my riding style, and it will be very interesting to ‘meet up with my old bike again’. Returning to Yamaha brings with it some good memories. We secured many podiums and victories, and three titles together, so we know where our strengths lie.

I want to thank Yamaha for this opportunity because this allows me to do what I love – riding motorbikes and pushing the limit – whilst enjoying a slightly calmer lifestyle than I did in previous years. I’m very motivated to get to work and can’t wait to start riding.

I want to do my best for Yamaha’s future, and I hope my riding experience will be helpful to Yamaha’s engineers and riders to bring the title back to Yamaha.”

Can Jorge Lorenzo pay a fundamental part in bringing Yamaha back to the top?