CONFIRMED: Jorge Lorenzo to ride for Repsol Honda in 2019 and 2020
Mugello, 06 June 2018: It’s official: Jorge Lorenzo is to join Repsol Honda in 2019, with the five-time World Champion having signed up for two seasons to partner reigning World Champion Marc Marquez at HRC. The announcement comes in the wake of Lorenzo’s first win for Ducati, taken at Mugello, when the Mallorcan became only the sixth man in the MotoGP™ era to win races on more than one bike, following 44 wins for Yamaha.
The statistics of the superstar line-up of Marquez and Lorenzo at Repsol Honda make for incredible reading: the two men share a total of 11 Championships, 130 victories and 255 podiums between them – many of which have been fought against each other. The two are also the only riders to have been crowned MotoGP™ World Champion since 2011 – Lorenzo in 2012 and 2015, adding to his first premier class crown taken in 2010, and Marquez in 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017.
DANI PEDROSA TO QUIT HONDA AFTER 18 YEARS
Lorenzo’s move to Honda follows the exit of Dani Pedrosa who is to part ways with HRC after 18 years together across three classes in the MotoGP™ World Championship, at the end of the 2018 season, by mutual agreement. The two have enjoyed an incredibly successful relationship and since 2006, when the Spaniard joined the Repsol Honda Team, he has earned 31 victories and was runner-up in the MotoGP™ Championship on three occasions – becoming the rider with the third most podiums in the premier class, behind only Valentino Rossi and Giacomo Agostini.
Over the years, Pedrosa has provided very useful information and feedback to Honda for the development of its machines, and at the same time, HRC has given him the best technology and full support on the track.
“I want to thank HRC for all these years of great success,” saïd Pedrosa. “I have grown not only as a rider but also as a person with them. I will always have HRC in my memories and in my heart. In life we all need new challenges and I feel it’s time for a change. Thanks, HRC.”
“Today is a sad day for me,” said Yoshishige Nomura, HRC President. “On behalf of HRC, I want to thank Dani for all his hard and successful work, and to express our gratitude for these two decades together. We also wish him the very best of luck and success. Thanks, Dani.”
Pedrosa later confirmed that more information about his future will be known during the next race weekend, set to take place at his home Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
“After announcing that my relationship with HRC will be over at the end of the season, I’d like to affirm that I will be providing more information about my future at the Catalan GP,” said Pedrosa. “Once again I’d like to express my deep thanks to HRC for all these years of personal and professional success with them, and for having always respected my priorities and decisions. We have both gained a lot from one of the most fruitful working relationships in the MotoGP paddock.”
Pedrosa, who moved up to the premier class and the Repsol Honda Team in 2006 as reigning 250 Champion, has won 31 races with the outfit so far and has the third most premier class podiums of all-time.
