Lorenzo to Ducati

[redbirds_imp]

Lorenzo did what was expected and signed a two year contract with Ducati for the 2017 and 2018 seasons. 20 million dollars a year. Suzuki will probably lose Maverick Vinales to Yamaha.

[Cormanus]

That will be interesting. A fast rider on a very fast bike.

[the Ferret]

That'sa lotta lire'

[Pterodactyl_imp]

Let's see if he can tame the Duck. Some can, some can't. Good luck to him, I like his style.

Cheers

[CB4ME_imp]

It's claimed a good part of his motivation was due to the ugliness in Sapang.

https://motomatters.com/analysis/2016/04...d_and.html

Vinales is an obvious choice to fill JL's seat, but Pedrosa'a name has been batted around.

[redbirds_imp]

It's claimed a good part of his motivation was due to the ugliness in Sapang.

https://motomatters.com/analysis/2016/04...d_and.html

Vinales is an obvious choice to fill JL's seat, but Pedrosa'a name has been batted around.

Good read. His conclusions seem logical to me.

[Ulvetanna_imp]

Jorge is a world champion, and he got more money from Ducati. He still has to race the same riders, now on a different bike. None of these guys are "teammates" in any sense of the word. Each has his own budget, staff, and program. Lorenzo's bike is quite different from Rossi's, Iannone's is not the same as Dovizioso's, and so on.

The so-called "tension" and "incidents" are encouraged (to a point) because they draw attention to the sport. Wayne Rainey commented last year that MotoAmerica needed more serious rivalry in the pits to get fans more enthusiastic.

It's hard to say whether the Ducati will work with his riding style; his cornering speeds are very high because of his bike setup and ability to be incredibly smooth at extreme lean angles. That's where he always gets ahead, mid-corner speed. The Duc has more outright speed but does not seem to be the fastest bike in the turns.

Because of the uncertainty as to his chances for another championship on the Ducati, it is quite certain he was well-compensated to make the move. The bike may make him look like a lousy rider but he will still be taking home some good dough.

I thought it was confirmed about Vinales moving to Yamaha.

I just read that article. The most realistic statement in it was "Of course, the scenario sketched above could all just be speculation, and I could be horribly wrong." I believe him. That he's wrong, that is. Completely. But he is stoking the fire of social media.