Triple MotoGP World Champion Jorge Lorenza says he would never consider an implied step down to the ‘little’ WorldSBK Championship because of his significant success at the highest levels of the GP ranks.
Everyone’s favourite unconvincing retiree, though Lorenzo has been emphatic about giving up on full-time racing having hung his helmets up at the end of an injury-ridden campaign with Honda, rumours, talk and hear’say are never far from Lorenzo even in MotoGP paddock absentia.
As such - much like any rider that pops out of MotoGP’s exit door at the end of the year - Lorenzo has been quizzed about trying his hand at WorldSBK.
However, he says a switch has never attracted him, pointedly telling Moto.it that he couldn’t consider riding such a ‘little’ machine he could ‘still break his spine’ crashing,. having achieved such success in the big leagues with Yamaha and Ducati.
“I'll make you a parallel: when one has driven a Ferrari or a Lamborghini, it is hard to drop the category,” he said. When you have ridden the best, the Formula 1 of motorcycles, Superbike necessarily seems a bit little to you, at all levels. "
“It's a different championship, it has its strengths and interests, like racing with road bikes, or the fact that the paddock is more familiar. But MotoGP is the best. When you became world champion there three times, you lived an eighteen-year career there, even breaking your spine, going to Superbike ... "
“In the end, there are riders who like to race motorcycles, for the pleasure of riding, and others who do it for the pleasure of winning. I'm in this second category, and doing it the best thing I've found to do in life is to ride a motorcycle!”
To his credit, Lorenzo would have become the most esteemed rider to have ever crossed over into WorldSBK but while he is reluctant, there are many others to take the plunge. The latest is Tito Rabat, who will compete on the Barni Ducati for the 2021 WorldSBK Championship, which kicks off this weekend at Aragon.
Despite turning his nose up at WorldSBK and seeing his high hopes of race outings in 2020 as Yamaha's test rider, Lorenzo. has found plenty to keep himself busy, from reaching the final of Spain's 'Masked Singer' TV competition to launching his own 'vlog' after each MotoGP race. In short, he is trying his hand at punditry but it is perhaps better described as one of MotoGP's bluntest commentators getting to pass comment on his former rivals.
