Lorenzo exploring options away from Ducati for 2019 MotoGP season
Jorge Lorenzo has admitted he is exploring options away from the factory Ducati team that will keep him on the MotoGP grid in 2019

The three-time premier class champion and Ducati appear increasingly likely to part ways after a troubled 18-month spell that has yet to yield a race win.
Autosport reported last week that Lorenzo could end up on a satellite Yamaha as his manufacturer options dwindle.
Pramac rider Danilo Petrucci suggested after the previous race at Le Mans that Ducati would choose either him or team-mate Jack Miller to partner Andrea Dovizioso at the works team in 2019.
That was followed by Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali expressing regret during a media event that Ducati's gamble on Lorenzo, who was lured from Yamaha at great expense, had not paid off.
"Lorenzo is a great rider who has not succeeded in getting the best from our bike, a bike that has great strengths and some weaknesses," said Domenicali.
"Unfortunately neither him nor the technicians have managed to make the most of his talent. This is a bit of bitterness that remains."
Addressing those remarks on Thursday at Mugello, Lorenzo said he was beginning to look at alternatives to remain on the MotoGP grid in 2019.
"We are looking at other options [besides Ducati]," said Lorenzo. "I won't comment on Domenicali's remarks.
"I'll only say that I'm not [just] a great rider, I'm a champion."
Lorenzo also moved to dismiss rumours he could decide to retire from MotoGP, alluding to potential plans for him to ride a factory-backed Yamaha at a satellite team next season.
"I will continue the next two years, I will not retire," he said. "And it will be with a good bike.
"It's the only thing that I can say. I guess at Montmelo [Barcelona, in mid-June] I will have more information."

Previous article
Joan Mir 'negotiating flat out' with Suzuki for 2019 MotoGP seat
Next article
Maverick Vinales says Yamaha MotoGP team has its 'fire' back

About this article
Series | MotoGP |
Drivers | Jorge Lorenzo |
Teams | Ducati Team , AB Motoracing |
Author | Oriol Puigdemont |
Lorenzo exploring options away from Ducati for 2019 MotoGP season
Trending
The hurdles Marquez faces next in his Portugal MotoGP return
Even by Marc Marquez’s own high standards, his MotoGP comeback on Friday at the Portuguese Grand Prix will be considered a success even if he didn’t top the times. But having shown competitive pace on his first day back, both Marquez and his rivals know plenty more challenges are to come
Where does Honda's new MotoGP signing sit ahead of its king's return?
Pol Espargaro’s first results as a Honda MotoGP rider may not appear special. But dig a little deeper and a clearer picture of his performance emerges. And, as Lewis Duncan writes, it’s cause for celebration at Honda with the return of Marc Marquez set to provide Espargaro with the reference he has been missing so far this year
The "pit bull" MotoGP rookie already drawing legendary comparisons
MotoGP’s 2021 rookie crop is one of the strongest in recent years, but one is already standing out. Jorge Martin’s Doha GP heroics have courted many to compare him to numerous MotoGP legends. Autosport spoke to Pramac boss Francesco Guidotti to find out why MotoGP’s latest Spanish star is already making such an impact
Why MotoGP's stewards must revisit Miller and Mir's Losail clash
Despite Suzuki’s decision not to appeal against Race Direction’s refusal to penalise Jack Miller following the incident with Joan Mir in Losail, something must be done to avoid a repeat of such an incident, which could have easily ended in tragedy
Has Yamaha banished its demons with its 2021 MotoGP bike?
Against the expected run of play at Qatar's Losail circuit, both Yamaha riders Maverick Vinales and Fabio Quartararo carved through a resolute Ducati defence to secure back-to-back MotoGP wins for the Japanese marque. After a difficult 2020, it appears that Yamaha has swaggered back into championship contention
Why MotoGP’s top gun looks more dangerous at the Doha GP
Lightning hasn't struck twice for Maverick Vinales since 2017 and his wayward form of recent years makes predicting how he'll fare each MotoGP race weekend tricky. But fresh from his Qatar GP win, Vinales looks like an even more dangerous prospect for the Doha GP following an intriguing Friday practice
Why MotoGP’s new Amazon series is long overdue
OPINION: MotoGP is getting its own version of Drive to Survive on Amazon Prime at some point in the near future. It was news welcomed by the grid’s leading riders. And following the impact DTS has had on Formula 1, MotoGP desperately needs the same boost.
Did the Qatar GP hint at Ducati’s true MotoGP leader?
OPINION: Johann Zarco talked a big game pre-season, and is so far vindicating himself as a factory rider at Pramac after finishing the Qatar GP as top Ducati in second. And contrasting his and Jack Miller's weekends and their approaches, is Zarco emerging as Ducati's true MotoGP leader?