Jorge Lorenzo Guerrero (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈxoɾxe loˈɾenθo ɣeˈreɾo]; born 4 May 1987) is a Spanish former Grand Prix motorcycle racer. He is a five-time World Champion, having won three titles in the MotoGP class (2010, 2012 and 2015) and two titles in 250cc (2006 and 2007).
After winning the 2006 and 2007 250cc World Championships, Lorenzo moved to MotoGP in 2008 to ride for the factory Yamaha team. In his first season, he was named Rookie of the Year after taking a race win in Portugal and finishing in fourth in the championship standings. The nine seasons he spent with Yamaha were highly successful: he won the championship on three occasions, in 2010, 2012 and 2015, and finished as runner-up in 2009, 2011 and 2013.
Lorenzo moved to the Ducati factory team in 2017. He struggled in his first season with Ducati in his first season, recording only three podium positions. He finished seventh in the championship, while his teammate and former 250cc rival Andrea Dovizioso placed runner-up on equal machinery. In 2018, Lorenzo regained form with victories in Mugello, Catalunya and Austria and a second place finish in Brno. Lorenzo made an ill-fated move to Repsol Honda in 2019, and retired at the end of a disastrous season.
Lorenzo ranks fifth on the list of all-time premier class race winners, with 47 victories from 203 starts, and third on the list of all-time premier class podium finishes, with 114. In 2022, he 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, having competed in the Porsche Carrera Cup Italia in 2022 and 2023 with Team Q8 Hi Perform, and the Porsche Supercup and the Italian GT Championship with Lazarus Corse. He also performs color commentary at select MotoGP races.
Contents
Career
125cc & 250cc World Championship
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.
MotoGP World Championship
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 second after qualifying on pole for the Qatar night race. He followed this up with pole at the second round in Jerez, Spain and third 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.
By this stage of the Championship, Lorenzo was in joint first place with Pedrosa, but on 1 May 2008 Lorenzo was thrown from his bike during practice for the MotoGP Grand Prix of China. Lorenzo suffered a chipped bone and snapped ligament in his left ankle, and a fractured bone in his right. He was still able to finish the race in fourth place. Two weeks later at Le Mans, Lorenzo suffered two accidents in the practice sessions but managed to post a second-place result. In the following race at Mugello, he crashed during the race after qualifying seventh on the grid, The next week in Barcelona, he experienced his fifth crash in four meetings, the practice session accident forcing him to miss the race.
At both Donington Park and Assen, Lorenzo was observed to be riding more conservatively after a series of injuries, but moved up the order in the later part of the race to finish sixth in each case. He has commented that he is stronger in the latter parts of races, preferring the bike when it is low on fuel. In the next meeting at Sachsenring, however, Lorenzo crashed out of the race during very wet conditions. Lorenzo suffered yet more injuries to his feet at the USGP at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on 20 July, when he experienced his seventh crash in only three months. During the first lap a spectacular highside left Lorenzo with a sore right foot (or ankle) and three broken bones in his left foot, specifically the third, fourth and fifth metatarsals. At Misano, Lorenzo clinched second place. Indianapolis saw him on the podium again, this time in third position. He eventually finished the season in fourth position.
In 2009, Lorenzo stayed with Yamaha. His season started well, with two wins – at Motegi and Le Mans – and two more podiums out of five races, leading the championship up until that point after which Valentino Rossi stole the momentum from him in the Catalan Grand Prix.
Celebrations
Lorenzo has become known for his celebration antics, which became more frequent over the 2010 season. Those included Lorenzo imitating a Spaceman, jumping into the lake in the infield of the Jerez circuit, and Nintendo's Mario brothers making an appearance at the trackside.
Rivalries
During his reign as 250cc champion, Lorenzo was known to be very aggressive in his riding, particularly when overtaking others. He was penalised by a suspension which stopped him from taking part in Malaysia in 2005. Lorenzo's tenure in the Fiat Yamaha team has been underscored by an intense rivalry between himself and his teammate Valentino Rossi.
In 2011, Lorenzo was seen arguing with fellow rider Marco Simoncelli, who was under fire from Lorenzo for his dangerous riding. Simoncelli retorted by reminding Lorenzo of his race suspension after he was overly aggressive while overtaking a rider in 2005, which included last lap clashing of fairings with Pedrosa and moments later taking Alex de Angelis down. Lorenzo said, "If it doesn't come from you again there will be no problem". Simoncelli put even more fuel to the fire by saying, "I will be arrested", to which a visibly angry Lorenzo reacted by saying, "This is no joke, we are playing with our lives here". Simoncelli claimed that he still had his leathers which were left blackened at the knee slider after a previous incident with Lorenzo at the final round of the 2010 season. Simoncelli died later that year after being run over after falling onto the race track in Malaysia.
Post-motorcycle racing career
Sportscar racing
Lorenzo was confirmed to participate in 2022 in the Porsche Supercup as a guest driver at Imola, in addition to regularly participating in the Porsche Carrera Cup Italia, driving the No. 8 Porsche 911 for Q8 Hi Perform. Lorenzo stated he decided to participate in what was his first foray into competitive automotive racing as he "loves challenges, and this is a huge one". Driving the No. 911 Porsche "VIP" car, Lorenzo finished 30th in the Supercup race; being a guest driver he was ineligible for points. He finished 14th in the 2022 Porsche Carrera Cup Italia, with his top finish being an eighth at Vallelunga.
Lorenzo announced in February 2023 that he would be joining the 2023 Porsche Supercup as a full-time driver, driving for Huber Racing. In addition to his Porsche Supercup campaign, Lorenzo continued his campaign with Q8 Hi Perform in Porsche Carrera Cup Italia, still driving the No. 8 car. Lorenzo would not continue in either series after 2023.
Lorenzo signed a multi-year deal with Lazarus Corse in 2024 to race an Aston Martin Vantage GT3, with an announcement made on Instagram. The series in which Lorenzo will race in was not mentioned in his announcement. ACI Sport would later publish a statement stating that Lorenzo would compete in the Endurance rounds of the Italian GT Championship, teaming up with William Alatalo and newly-inducted AMR Driver Academy driver Mahaveer Raghunathan.
Lorenzo finished his first race in the series in 14th place.
Isle of Man TT
During a break between the Italian and British rounds of the 2010 Championship, Lorenzo rode a Yamaha in a parade lap around the world-famous Snaefell Mountain Course at the Isle of Man TT. He rode alongside former World Champion Ángel Nieto, later describing the experience as 'amazing'.
At the conclusion of the Senior TT, Lorenzo then took part of the garlanding ceremony, in which he bestowed garlands on third placed Bruce Anstey, second placed Ryan Farquhar and winner Ian Hutchinson, rounding off Hutchinson's historical five race wins at the 2010 TT meeting.
Personal life
Lorenzo was born in Palma, Balearic Islands, Spain. In January 2010, Lorenzo got involved with the Oxfam international confederation's efforts in assisting support for the victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake.
The character Jorge in the video game Halo: Reach is named for him, after Lorenzo wore a helmet at the 2009 Valencian Grand Prix that replicated a style of helmet from Halo 3: ODST. Lorenzo wore sponsored helmets from the Call of Duty franchise, at the Valencian Grand Prix in 2013 for Ghosts and Advanced Warfare in 2014.
Lorenzo wore sponsored protective gear from Dainese between 2005 and 2010, and Alpinestars from 2011 onwards. On 17 October 2013, Lorenzo visited the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Alpinestars.
On 2 May 2013, three days before the Spanish Grand Prix, the Circuito de Jerez renamed the thirteenth corner "Curva Lorenzo". It had previously been known as "Curva Ducados".
In September 2015, China-based Zopo Mobile released the Zopo Speed 7 GP smartphone, endorsed by Lorenzo.
In 2020, Lorenzo competed in the Spanish celebrity song contest Mask Singer: Adivina quién canta, finishing fourth.
Lorenzo was appointed as the brand ambassador for Super Soco in 2021. A special edition Lorenzo-inspired 'JL99' scooter was unveiled by Lorenzo at the Milan Motorcycle Show in November 2021.
In 2022, Lorenzo was hired by DAZN to work as a race-commentator for MotoGP broadcasts in Spain.
Career statistics
Source:
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Car racing records
Career summary
† Guest driver ineligible to score points.
* Season still in progress.
Complete Porsche Carrera Cup Italia results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Complete Porsche Supercup results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
‡ As Lorenzo was a guest driver, he was ineligible for points.
† Driver did not finish the race, but was classified as he completed over 90% of the race distance.
Complete Italian GT Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)