Jorge Lorenzo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jorge Lorenzo
Lorenzo in 2019
Nationality	Spanish
Born	(1987-05-04) 4 May 1987 (age 38) Palma de Mallorca, Spain
Motorcycle racing career statistics MotoGP World Championship Active years 2008–2019 Manufacturers Yamaha (2008–2016) Ducati (2017–2018) Honda (2019) Championships 3 (2010, 2012, 2015) 2019 championship position 19th (28 pts) Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 203 47 114 43 30 2899 250cc World Championship Active years 2005–2007 Manufacturers Honda (2005) Aprilia (2006–2007) Championships 2 (2006, 2007) 2007 championship position 1st (312 pts) Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 48 17 29 23 4 768 125cc World Championship Active years 2002–2004 Manufacturers Derbi Championships 0 2004 championship position 4th (179 pts) Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 46 4 9 3 3 279

Jorge Lorenzo Guerrero (born May 4, 1987) is a Spanish former professional motorcycle racer. He is a five-time World Champion. He won three MotoGP World Championships in 2010, 2012, and 2015. He also won two 250cc World Championships in 2006 and 2007.

After winning the 250cc titles, Lorenzo joined the factory Yamaha team in MotoGP in 2008. He was named "rookie of the year" and finished 4th in the championship. He even won a race in Portugal that year. His nine years with Yamaha (2008-2016) were very successful. He won three championships and was runner-up three times.

In 2017, Lorenzo moved to the Ducati factory team. He had a tough first year, getting only three podium finishes. In 2018, he improved and won three races. In 2019, he joined Repsol Honda but faced many challenges. He decided to retire at the end of that season.

With 47 wins in the top class, Lorenzo is 5th on the all-time list of premier class race winners. In 2022, he was added to the MotoGP Hall of Fame as an official Legend. Even after retiring from motorcycle racing, Lorenzo still competes in motorsports. He races in the Porsche Carrera Cup Italia and the Italian GT Championship. He also works as a commentator for some MotoGP races.

Jorge Lorenzo's Racing Journey

Early Career: 125cc & 250cc Championships

Lorenzo started his championship journey on his 15th birthday in 2002. He raced in the 125cc Spanish Grand Prix. He had to miss Friday practice because he wasn't old enough to race yet.

In 2007, Lorenzo was amazing in the 250cc World Championship. He started from the front (pole position) nine times and won nine races. His win at Misano in 2007 was his 16th in the 250cc class. This made him the most successful Spanish rider ever in that class.

MotoGP World Championship Highlights

After his success in 250cc, Lorenzo joined the Yamaha MotoGP team in 2008. He signed a two-year deal to race alongside Valentino Rossi.

2008: A Strong Start and Challenges

Lorenzo during pre-season testing at Jerez

Lorenzo had an incredible start in MotoGP. He finished 2nd in his first race in Qatar after starting from pole. He then got pole position and 3rd place in Spain. In Portugal, he started from pole again and won his first MotoGP race. He became the youngest rider to finish on the podium in his first three races.

However, Lorenzo also faced many crashes and injuries that year. He still managed to finish the season in 4th place overall.

2009: Chasing the Title

Lorenzo at the 2009 Indianapolis Grand Prix

In 2009, Lorenzo continued with Yamaha. He started the season with two wins and two more podiums in the first five races. He was leading the championship for a while.

Crashes and injuries later in the season made it harder for him to win the title. He won at Indianapolis, which helped him close the gap to the leader. He finished the season as runner-up in the championship.

2010: Becoming World Champion

On August 25, 2009, Lorenzo decided to stay with Yamaha for the 2010 MotoGP Championship. He had been offered a lot of money to join other teams.

Lorenzo at the 2010 British Grand Prix

Before the season, Lorenzo broke two bones in his hand in a small bike crash. Despite this, he finished second in the first race. When his teammate Valentino Rossi got injured, Lorenzo became the favorite to win the title. He had a big lead after winning four of the first six races.

He won at Assen, becoming one of only seven riders to win in three different classes at that famous track. On October 10, Lorenzo won his first MotoGP World Championship by finishing third in Malaysia.

2011: Runner-Up Despite Injury

Lorenzo started the 2011 season well, with four podium finishes in the first five races, including a win in Spain. He led the championship until he crashed out of the British Grand Prix.

His season ended early due to a crash during practice for the Australian Grand Prix. He injured his left hand and needed surgery. He still managed to finish second in the championship that year.

2012: Second MotoGP Title

Lorenzo returned to racing in Qatar in 2012. He started from pole position and won the race. He then had two second-place finishes before winning two more races in France and Catalunya. This gave him a good lead in the championship.

He signed a new contract with Yamaha to stay until 2014. Lorenzo won his second MotoGP title at Phillip Island by finishing second.

2013: A Close Battle

In 2013, Lorenzo was the defending World Champion. He had a tough battle with Repsol Honda riders Marc Márquez and Dani Pedrosa. He won eight races that season.

Despite his many wins, he finished second in the championship. He was only 4 points behind Marc Márquez.

2014: Strong Finish to the Season

Lorenzo at the 2014 French Grand Prix

Lorenzo had a slow start to the 2014 season. He crashed in Qatar and had a penalty in Austin. He got his first podium in Argentina.

He started the second half of the season with four second-place finishes. He then won his first race of the season in Aragon, which was his first win at that track. He followed it up with another win in Japan. He finished third in the overall championship standings.

2015: Third World Championship

Lorenzo started 2015 with some fourth and fifth-place finishes. Then, he won four races in a row for the first time in his career. These wins moved him into second place in the championship, just one point behind his teammate Rossi.

He continued to win races, including his sixth win of the season at the Aragon Grand Prix. This helped his team, Yamaha, win their team title. In a very exciting final race in Valencia, Lorenzo won the race and took his fifth world title overall by just five points.

2016: Moving On

Lorenzo in 2017

Lorenzo started the 2016 season by winning in Qatar. He then announced that he would leave Yamaha to join Ducati the next season. He won two more races in France and Italy.

He finished the season strong at Valencia with a new qualifying record and a win in his last race with Yamaha. He finished third in the championship.

2017: Adjusting to Ducati

In 2017, Lorenzo switched from Yamaha to Ducati. He had some trouble getting used to the new bike. He didn't win any races that season, which was his first time without a win in the top class since 2005. However, he still got three podium finishes and ended up seventh overall.

2018: Wins with Ducati

After a difficult start to 2018, it was announced that Lorenzo's contract with Ducati would not be renewed. After this news, he quickly won three races. He got his first Ducati win in Italy with a strong performance. He followed this with another win in Catalunya, marking his first back-to-back wins since 2016.

Lorenzo's third win of 2018 came in Austria, where he beat Marc Marquez by a very small margin. Later in the season, he suffered several serious injuries, which affected his performance and continued into his time at Honda.

2019: Retirement from Racing

On June 6, 2018, it was announced that Lorenzo would join the Repsol Honda Team for two years. He replaced his retiring countryman, Dani Pedrosa.

Despite a tough start to the season, Lorenzo felt the Honda bike was improving for his riding style. However, at the Catalan GP, he was involved in a crash that affected several other riders.

At the Assen GP, Lorenzo crashed during practice and fractured two bones in his back. This injury kept him out of several races. He later shared that this fall was a big reason for his retirement. He became worried about getting another injury that could cause a permanent disability.

Le Mans 2019

On November 14, 2019, Lorenzo announced his retirement from racing at age 32. This was at the last race of the season in Valencia, Spain. He finished the season in 19th place, which was his lowest ever. He also didn't get any podium finishes that year.

2020: Test Rider Role

In January 2020, Lorenzo became the lead test rider for the Yamaha Factory Racing European test team. He was supposed to make a special appearance in a race that year, but it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Celebrations and Rivalries

Lorenzo became known for his fun celebrations after winning races. These included pretending to be a spaceman, jumping into a lake, and having Nintendo's Mario brothers characters appear trackside.

During his time as 250cc champion, Lorenzo was known for his aggressive riding style. He even received a suspension in 2005 for being too aggressive. In MotoGP, he had a strong rivalry with his teammate Valentino Rossi.

In 2011, Lorenzo had a public discussion with fellow rider Marco Simoncelli about dangerous riding. Lorenzo stressed the importance of safety, saying, "This is no joke, we are playing with our lives here."

Life After Motorcycle Racing

Sportscar Racing Adventures

Lorenzo has also started racing sportscars. In 2022, he participated in the Porsche Carrera Cup Italia and was a guest driver in the Porsche Supercup. He said he loves challenges, and car racing was a big new one for him. He finished 14th in the 2022 Porsche Carrera Cup Italia.

In 2023, Lorenzo joined the 2023 Porsche Supercup as a full-time driver. He also continued racing in the Porsche Carrera Cup Italia. He did not continue in either series after 2023.

In 2024, Lorenzo signed a deal with Lazarus Corse to race an Aston Martin Vantage GT3. He competes in the Endurance rounds of the Italian GT Championship. He finished his first race in the series in 14th place.

Isle of Man TT Experience

Lorenzo joins second-place Ryan Farquhar and 2010 Senior TT winner Ian Hutchinson on the podium, following Hutchinson's historic fifth victory at the 2010 Isle of Man TT.

In 2010, during a break in the MotoGP season, Lorenzo rode a Yamaha in a parade lap around the famous Snaefell Mountain Course at the Isle of Man TT. He rode with former World Champion Ángel Nieto and called the experience "amazing."

After the main race, the Senior TT, Lorenzo helped with the awards ceremony. He presented garlands to the top three finishers, including the winner, Ian Hutchinson.

Personal Life and Interests

Jorge Lorenzo was born in Palma, Balearic Islands, Spain. In 2010, he helped Oxfam support victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

A character named Jorge in the video game Halo: Reach is named after him. This happened because Lorenzo wore a helmet in 2009 that looked like a helmet from the game Halo 3: ODST. Lorenzo also wore helmets sponsored by the Call of Duty video game series in 2013 and 2014.

Lorenzo wore protective gear from Dainese until 2010 and then from Alpinestars starting in 2011. In 2013, he visited the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles to celebrate Alpinestars' 50th Anniversary.

On May 2, 2013, the Circuito de Jerez racetrack renamed its thirteenth corner "Curva Lorenzo" in his honor.

In September 2015, a Chinese mobile company, Zopo Mobile, released a smartphone endorsed by Lorenzo. In 2020, he appeared on the Spanish celebrity singing show Mask Singer: Adivina quién canta. In 2021, he became a brand ambassador for Super Soco, an electric scooter company. In 2022, he started working as a race commentator for MotoGP broadcasts in Spain for DAZN.

Career Statistics Summary

Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing

By Season

By Class

Images for kids

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  Mugello 2019

See also

In Spanish: Jorge Lorenzo para niños