MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo Signs With Yamaha

Paul Carruthers | August 7, 2014

Jorge Lorenzo signed a new two-year contract with Yamaha this week.

Photography by Gold & Goose
The final pieces of the MotoGP silly season puzzle are coming together with the announcement today that Jorge Lorenzo has inked a two-year contract to stay with the Movistar Yamaha team for the 2015 and 2016 seasons.

“I’m really happy to sign this new contract with Yamaha,” Lorenzo said today in the pre-Indianapolis Grand Prix press conference. “I always said that my first option was Yamaha, to keep with them. My dream is to finish my career at Yamaha and never change the team. So at the end of this contract I will achieve nine seasons at Yamaha. So I’m really proud and happy to make that.”

The two-time World Champion is currently fifth in the MotoGP World Championship as he continues to search for his first victory of the year. Lorenzo had his best race of the year at Mugello in round six, the Spaniard finishing second to Marc Marquez after a race-long battle. This weekend marks the 10th round of the championship at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“I am very happy we have reached an agreement for Jorge to continue as a Movistar Yamaha MotoGP rider,” said Lin Jarvis, the managing director of Yamaha Motor Racing. “The new agreement extends Jorge’s seven-year partnership with Yamaha. He started with us as a rookie back in 2008 and together we achieved many great results including 31 GP victories and two MotoGP Rider World Champion titles in 2010 and 2012.

“The 2014 season has been a tough one for Jorge so far, but I am hoping that the confirmation of this new agreement will give him the peace of mind to be able to focus 100 percent of his energy on the remaining races. Last year we saw what he was able to do when the going was tough and he was fighting back from mid-season injuries so we know that the potential is there for a strong second half to the 2014 season. For 2015 and beyond we have no doubt that Jorge will be a strong title contender and we will do our very best to provide him with the materials and the support he needs to be able to realize our shared ambitions.”