Jorge Lorenzo

Jorge Lorenzo Guerrero (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈxoɾxe loˈɾenθo ɣeˈreɾo]; born 4 May 1987) is a Spanish former professional motorcycle racer. He is a five-time World Champion, with three MotoGP World Championships (2010, 2012 and 2015) and two 250cc World Championships (2006 and 2007).

After winning the 2006 and 2007 250 cc World Championships, Lorenzo moved to MotoGP in 2008 with the factory Yamaha team. In his first season, he won rookie of the year honours after finishing 4th place in the championship, including a win at Portugal. The nine seasons he spent with Yamaha from 2008 to 2016 proved to be very successful, as he won the championship on three occasions in 2010, 2012 and 2015, finishing as championship runner-up in 2009, 2011 and 2013. His win tally of eight in the 2013 MotoGP season remained the most by any rider in the premier class in a single season not to win the title until the 2024 season in which Francesco Bagnaia finished 2nd with 11 wins.

Lorenzo moved to the Ducati factory team in 2017. He struggled at Ducati in his first season, getting only three podiums, and finished 7th in the championship in 2017, while his teammate and former 250cc rival Andrea Dovizioso fought for the championship until the final round in Valencia. In the subsequent season in 2018, Lorenzo regained form with three victories in Mugello, Catalunya and Austria and a further 2nd place in Brno. A move to Repsol Honda in 2019 proved to be ill-fated, and Lorenzo retired at the end of the season.

With 47 premier class wins, Lorenzo is 5th in the all-time list of premier class race winners. In 2022, Lorenzo was inducted into the MotoGP Hall of Fame as an official Legend by the FIM. Despite his retirement from riding, Lorenzo remains active in motorsports, competing in the Porsche Carrera Cup Italia in 2022 and 2023 with Team Q8 Hi Perform, the Porsche Supercup and the Italian GT Championship with Lazarus Corse, in addition to performing color commentary at select MotoGP races.

Lorenzo made his championship debut on his fifteenth birthday, on the second qualifying day for the 2002 125cc Spanish Grand Prix, after having missed Friday practice, due to not being old enough to race (minimum age regulations). Lorenzo dominated the 2007 250cc World Championship. His nine pole positions led to nine victories in 2007.

Lorenzo's victory at Misano in 2007 was his 16th in the 250cc class, making him the most successful Spanish rider of all time in the intermediate class – with one more victory than Dani Pedrosa and Sito Pons.

After being linked with a Yamaha MotoGP ride for 2008, on 25 July 2007 he was confirmed as Valentino Rossi's partner on a two-year deal for the 2008 MotoGP season.

Lorenzo made a great start to his MotoGP career, finishing 2nd after qualifying on pole for the Qatar night race. He followed this up with pole at the second round in Jerez, Spain and 3rd Position, and pole in round 3 at Estoril, Portugal. He converted this pole into a victory, his maiden win in the Premier Class. In doing so, he became the youngest rider in MotoGP to finish on the podium in his first three races, taking the record from compatriot and rival Dani Pedrosa by a single day.