Jorge Lorenzo, once known as one of the most aggressive and determined riders in the MotoGP paddock, has revealed a more reflective and personal side since retiring from the sport. In an extensive interview for his “Duralavita” project, Lorenzo opened up about the highs and lows of his racing career, his relentless pursuit of success, and the toll that injuries and rivalries took on him.
Lorenzo described his best quality as the unwavering commitment he brought to everything he pursued. “When I have something clear, I go for it. I do whatever it takes—sacrifice, discipline,” he explained. Acknowledging a statement by former rival Dani Pedrosa, he highlighted his ability to maintain self-belief, even in the darkest moments of his career. “Even when I was at my lowest, I always managed to pull myself together and win again.”
But those “low” moments were marked by crashes and injuries that shook his confidence. Recalling a particularly painful crash in 2017 at Phillip Island, Lorenzo said, “I went into the gravel fast and started to spin. In the clinic, I was screaming, ‘Always the same, the fucking bikes! What the hell am I doing here?'” The repeated injuries became a burden that weighed on his mental and physical endurance, making each recovery more grueling than the last. “Every injury is like a small stone in your imaginary backpack,” Lorenzo shared, admitting that each one made him more cautious on the track—a quality that, while it may have prolonged his career, also slowed him down compared to younger, less experienced riders.
Despite the difficulties, Lorenzo never showed fear, embodying the ruthlessness needed to succeed in MotoGP. “Being selfish in sporting terms doesn’t mean being a son of a bitch. It means doing what you have to do to be a champion,” he said. He explained that MotoGP’s ultra-competitive environment often required riders to put themselves first, sometimes resulting in confrontations. “You have to beat 25 other riders, and if you don’t choose yourself, you let them win.”
Lorenzo was also candid about the tactics used by great champions, including himself, to gain an edge over competitors. “Hiding telemetry data, hiding your racing lines—people may see it as being a bastard, but that’s what a champion does. Senna did it, Schumacher did it, Márquez did it, and I did it too.” However, Lorenzo emphasized that while he was fiercely competitive, he always tried to operate within the rules of MotoGP. “I have not been someone who hasn’t made mistakes, but I’ve always tried to be fair and play by the rules to win.”
Off the track, Lorenzo experienced the intense rivalries that defined MotoGP, particularly his heated competition with Valentino Rossi. The rivalry, especially in the dramatic 2015 season, led to hateful reactions from fans. “When I was Rossi’s rival, the fans were divided. There was hate, like in football,” he recalled. “In 2015, it was super intense. Márquez and I were the fastest riders on the planet, but when we entered the corral after a race, 80% of the Spanish fans were booing us because they were Rossi supporters.”
Through all the challenges, Lorenzo remains proud of his career and the grit it took to succeed. His reflections offer a glimpse into the mindset of a champion who not only battled his rivals but also his own physical and mental limits in the pursuit of greatness.