Jorge Lorenzo: Cornering through time

Triple MotoGP champion Jorge Lorenzo raced for the factory Yamaha, Ducati and Honda teams during a memorable twelve years in the premier-class.

Bursting onto the MotoGP scene as the reigning 250cc champion in 2008, Lorenzo came to epitomise the silky smooth, corner-speed style still associated with the M1 as he notched up 44 grands prix wins for Yamaha.

The Ducati Desmosedici that followed was a very different beast, gaining its lap time in braking and acceleration, while needing to be worked hard in the corners. Lorenzo initially struggled with the transition, before bike and rider gelled with spectacular effect in mid-2018, when the #99 seized three wins before injury.

A move to Repsol Honda and perhaps the most challenging bike to ride on the MotoGP grid followed in 2019. However further injuries blunted Lorenzo's chances of adapting to the RCV and his goal of winning races for three different manufacturers soon became a distant dream.

Nonetheless, during his premier-class career Lorenzo not only won races for two different factories, but with 800cc and 1000cc engines, Michelin and Bridgestone tyres. 

Known for high lean angles throughout his career - Lorenzo set what was then a new record of 64-degrees during the 2013 season - the following animation shows how the Spaniard adjusted his style to suit different machines and tyres, including morphing towards the latest 'head-and-elbow down' riding position around 2013.

The photos used were taken within a few metres of each other at the same corner - at COTA, Misano, Jerez and Sepang - between 2008 and 2019...

After retiring from MotoGP last November, Lorenzo was nonetheless back on track – and back on an M1 – at Sepang in January, in his new role as Yamaha test rider.

A wild-card race appearance had also been planned, for Catalunya, but is now in doubt due to the coronavirus disruption.