Lorenzo signs with Ducati
Lorenzo will leave Yamaha at the end of the 2016 MotoGP season, and will move to Ducati on a two-year contract. It is reported that his deal could be worth as much as £15m-per-year. Ducati:
Ducati announces that it has reached an agreement with Jorge Lorenzo whereby the Spaniard will compete in the MotoGP World Championship in 2017 and 2018 on the Ducati Desmosedici GP Ducati Team.
Yamaha:
Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. announces that its partnership with Jorge Lorenzo will be discontinued at the close of the 2016 MotoGP season, when Lorenzo will move on to new racing challenges. Since Lorenzo joined the Yamaha Factory Racing Team in 2008, Lorenzo and Yamaha won three MotoGP World Championships (2010, 2012 and 2015), clinched 41 race wins and have been on the podium 99 times out of 141 races contested. Yamaha is extremely grateful for Jorge’s contributions to its racing successes and looks forward to sharing more memorable moments during the remaining 15 MotoGP rounds of 2016, their ninth season together.
Agostini: Lorenzo has ‘super’ Ducati offer
Agostini says that Lorenzo has an offer from Ducati:
I hope Lorenzo signs with Ducati. I say that as an Italian. I know for a fact that [Ducati owner] Audi has made him a super offer…I know how I would reason it out. Does the money they are offering make up for giving up on the best equipment, which is what Yamaha undoubtedly has? In that case, if Jorge thinks he can make a difference dressed in red, then he will do well in accepting the challenge. But I don’t think he’s fully convinced.