It took Jorge Lorenzo a year and a half to get strong with Ducati, but of course he doesn’t want to repeat the experience with Honda.
Because of this, he will travel to Japan before Barcelona next week to receive technical approvals for Plan B. That is, an RC213-V that can help him accelerate synergy with a motorcycle that is obviously tailored for a riding style that is different than his.
This rumor had been circulating among the mechanics of the various teams in the Mugello paddock since the beginning of the week, so that it was noticed by none other than Giacomo Agostini, who however gave his own interpretation.
“Things could end earlier between Lorenzo and Honda,” said the 15-time world champion in an interview with TV8. “Although he has a two-year contract, contracts can be broken. Rumor has it that he is flying to Tokyo tomorrow to terminate the contract.”
Obviously, with a mouthpiece of this magnitude, everyone was talking of an imminent divorce, but the reality is differenteven if some statements by Marc Marquez at least suggest it there is some friction between the two world champions of the dream team.
To understand why, we need to delve into Honda’s philosophy, which is very different from any other team.
The HRC is, in fact, a kind of fortress within Honda from which theoretically nothing should escape. And instead – as before with Livio Suppo and then Carlo Fiorani – did something so much that Takeo Yokoyama, technical director of Honda Racing Corporation, was forced to speak as little as possible. And the comments were left to Alberto Puig.
Our conclusion is that alongside the successes of Marc and his team – an enclave of loyalists – Honda isn’t pleased to speak of a manufacturer of a difficult-to-ride bike and above all, that only one driver can lead to success.
That is why even Gigi Dall’Igna spoke about it in Mugello; He who made Ducati fly not only with aerodynamics, but also where it hurts when it comes to the driving difficulties of the RC213-V.
Another confirmation, if another was needed, that it is now an all-out war between Honda and Ducati.