MotoGP News: Jorge Lorenzo Opens Up About Shockingly Low Contract Offer from Ducati

Saajan Jogia | Nov 10, 2024

August 26, 2012; Brno, CZECH REPUBLIC; MotoGP rider Jorge Lorenzo (ESP) celebrates his second place finish during the Czech Republic Grand Prix at Automotodrom Brno. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images / Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

Former MotoGP champion Jorge Lorenzo has shed light on his contract negotiations with Ducati, disclosing the shockingly low offer he received compared to the earnings of other top MotoGP riders at the time. As one of the sport’s leading talents, Lorenzo was seen as the key figure who could help Ducati reclaim its former glory and end a prolonged victory drought amid Yamaha and Honda’s reign.

The two-time MotoGP champion with Yamaha found it challenging to regain his winning form after departing the team in 2017. Following a third-place finish and a fierce rivalry with teammate Valentino Rossi that season, Lorenzo chose to leave Yamaha and join Ducati, driven by the persistent efforts of Ducati Corse general manager Luigi Dall’Igna.

However, the partnership ultimately fell short of expectations, with Ducati unable to capitalize on Lorenzo's skills to achieve the breakthrough success it had envisioned. Reflecting on his departure, Lorenzo detailed the struggles of his two seasons with Ducati and the factors that led him to exit the team after a stint that failed to live up to the high hopes that both he and Ducati had initially shared.

Four years after Lorenzo's departure, Ducati broke its 15-year title drought dating back to Casey Stoner’s 2007 championship, with Pecco Bagnaia clinching the MotoGP crown. Two years on, Ducati continues to lead as the top-performing bike in the series. Speaking on his disappointing Ducati exit after two lackluster seasons, he told AS:

“At Ducati things did not work out for me.

"Until I understood it, I did not start to be competitive.

“Ducati lost patience after a year and a half without results. They no longer trusted me. They did not offer me even a million euros when the contracts at that time were twelve. They preferred a rider like Petrucci.

“I didn't have a single offer."

Lorenzo revealed Gigi Dall’Igna was one of the reasons he joined Ducati. He said:

“I knew that Gigi was going to make the Ducati the best motorcycle, because he is very stubborn.

“It was a bit like when Lewis Hamilton left McLaren to go to Mercedes. A team that had not won anything, but knew it would be the best car in Formula 1.

“I had the same intuition with Ducati.”

While his first Ducati contract was rumored to be exponentially high, he revealed it was just 15% more than what he made at Yamaha. But money was not his motivation. He added:

“In reality, it was 15% more than what I earned at Yamaha.

“The change was not for money, no matter how much some think it was.

“That 15% didn't change my life. It was more about motivation."