MotoGP world champion Jorge
Lorenzo on Monday reached a deal taking him from Yamaha to
Italian team Ducati.
Ducati said Lorenzo would ride for them in 2017 and 2018.
A statement from the Italian team said: "Ducati announces
that it has reached an agreement with Jorge Lorenzo thanks to
which the Spanish rider will take part in the MotoGP World
Championship in 2017 and 2018 aboard the Ducati Desmosedici GP
of the Ducati Team.
"Lorenzo, born in Palma de Mallorca on 4 May 1987, has won
five world championship titles throughout his racing career
(250cc in 2006 and 2007 and MotoGP in 2010, 2012 and 2015)."
Ducati Sporting Director Paolo Ciabatti told Sky "Our
project began a few years ago and envisaged that when Ducati was
able to put a competitive bike onto the track, on a par with
Honda and Yamaha, we would try to get one of the top riders to
bring the world title back to Borgo Panigale".
Yamaha said earlier the Spanish rider was set to leave
them, after they recently extended the contract of nine-time
world champ Valentino Rossi, who has had an up-and-down
relationship with Lorenzo.
Yamaha insisted there was no intention to slight Lorenzo
by announcing Rossi's new contract first, pointing out that both
received new offers at the same time and, while Lorenzo chose to
wait, the Italian accepted instantly.
The famously frosty relationship between Rossi and Lorenzo
had thawed somewhat following The Doctor's return from Ducati in
2013, but went into deep freeze again by the end of 2015 as
Rossi claimed Marc Marquez helped Lorenzo claim the crown.
After an on-track altercation in Qatar this year, Rossi
made the quip that "changing bikes takes balls, so Lorenzo will
remain at Yamaha". Rossi, who had two poor years at Ducati, thus
either misjudged Lorenzo, or his ploy to poke the Spaniard into
leaving has worked.
"Jorge Lorenzo and Yamaha will part ways after the 2016
season," a statement said.
"Since Lorenzo joined the Yamaha Factory Racing Team in
2008, Lorenzo and Yamaha have enjoyed eight fantastic seasons of
racing together, during which time they have won three MotoGP
World Championships (2010, 2012 and 2015), clinched 41 race wins
and have been on the podium 99 times out of 141 races contested.
"Yamaha is extremely grateful for Jorge's contributions to
its racing successes and looks forward to sharing more memorable
moments during the remaining 15 MotoGP rounds of 2016, their
ninth season together".
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