Lorenzo, Biaggi, Anderson to become MotoGP Legends

Multiple world champions Jorge Lorenzo, Max Biaggi and Hugh Anderson are to inducted as MotoGP Legends during 2020.

Upon his retirement announcement at Valencia last November, it was revealed that Lorenzo would become a MotoGP Legend. The venue of his induction ceremony has now been set as the Spanish Grand Prix a Jerez, the track where Lorenzo made his 125cc debut as a 15-year-old in 2002.

The Spaniard went on to take the first of his 68 grand prix victories the following season, followed by back-to-back 250cc titles in 2006 and 2007. Such performances earned a seat at the factory Yamaha team alongside Valentino Rossi, where Lorenzo qualified on pole position for his first three races, winning at only the third attempt.

Lorenzo went on to win the MotoGP crown in 2010, 2012 and 2015, celebrating 44 wins for Yamaha before joining Ducati in 2017, where he took his final three victories in 2018, before completing his career with an injury blighted season at Repsol Honda.

"To be named a MotoGP Legend makes me extremely happy," said Lorenzo. "When I began competing in this world, what I really aspired to do was to get into the World Championship.

"To be able to win races and then five World Championships is something that far outweighs what I expected, and to be a MotoGP Legend is something even more difficult to achieve.

"To be named a Legend means, apart from the titles, that you’ve left a mark on the people and history of this sport. I’d like to thank Dorna and the FIM for their support all these years, and for having included me in this special group of select riders."

When he was growing up Lorenzo was a fan of Biaggi and later became friends with the Roman, who made his grand prix debut in the 250cc class in 1991.

Biaggi would win four successive titles in the intermediate class, with Aprilia and finally Honda, before an explosive start to his 500cc career saw the Italian take victory on his premier-class debut and take four podiums in a row.

The season finished with Biaggi title runner-up to Mick Doohan, the first of three occasions that the Roman would finish second in the premier-class world championship.

Like Lorenzo, Biaggi had memorable premier-class battles with Rossi - both on and off track – and had claimed 13 wins (including the first for the Yamaha M1) by the time he was forced out of the premier-class at the end of 2005. Biaggi's seat at Repsol Honda had been taken by Dani Pedrosa, who would go on to replace Biaggi and Randy Mamola as the most successful premier-class rider never to win the world title.

After a season on the sidelines, Biaggi returned to competition with another victorious debut, this time with Suzuki in the World Superbike championship, where he would later win titles for Aprilia in 2010 and 2012, his final season of competition.

Biaggi has recently returned to the GP paddock via the Sterilgarda Max Racing Moto3 team.

"I’m honoured to become a MotoGP Legend and know that my name will be up there forever with other important racers like Agostini, Aspar, Nieto, Sheene…" said Biaggi, whose induction ceremony will be at Mugello.

"I’m happy that my racing legacy will always be remembered and it’s a good feeling that knowing all of my years of hard work are still being recognised, even today. I would like to thank everyone who decided to give me this honour."

Hugh Anderson will be the final inductee in 2020. The New Zealander made his first GP appearances in the 500cc and 350cc classes in 1960, taking a podium in the latter on an AJS.

But it would be in the smaller classes with the fledgling Suzuki factory that Anderson would claim four world titles, lifting both the 50cc and 125cc crowns in 1963, followed by a further 50cc title in 1964 and a final 125cc crown in 1965.

Anderson retired in 1966 after taking an impressive 25 Grand Prix wins and four titles in just six years, including two victories in the Isle of Man TT.

"How I felt when receiving the news? At first, apprehension: do my relatively modest achievements warrant this honour? Will I, can I, do justice to this invitation?" said Anderson.

"Some hours later I felt a feelgood sensation envelope me. A gratification that after all this time the modern world has not forgotten the past and the riders of a very much different era still have some value.

"A question of the history of our sport being recognised at the highest level. Thank you."

Lorenzo, Biaggi and Anderson join the following list of official MotoGP Legends: Giacomo Agostini, Mick Doohan, Geoff Duke, Wayne Gardner, Mike Hailwood, Nicky Hayden, Daijiro Kato, Eddie Lawson, Anton Mang, Angel Nieto, Wayne Rainey, Phil Read, Jim Redman, Kenny Roberts, Jarno Saarinen, Kevin Schwantz, Kenny Roberts Jr, Barry Sheene, Marco Simoncelli, Freddie Spencer, Casey Stoner, John Surtees, Carlo Ubbiali, Alex Crivillé, Franco Uncini, Marco Lucchinelli, Randy Mamola, Kork Ballington, Dani Pedrosa, Stefan Dörflinger and Jorge Martinez.