Jorge Lorenzo returns to Yamaha MotoGP in test rider role
Jorge Lorenzo and Yamaha join forces again for the 2020 MotoGP World Championship as he joins his former title-winning team as test rider
Yamaha has confirmed its three-time MotoGP World Championship winner Jorge Lorenzo will return to the Iwata marque in 2020 as a test rider.
The Spaniard called time on his career at the conclusion of the 2019 MotoGP season after a difficult single season with Repsol Honda beset by injuries and troubles adapting to the RC213V.
Nonetheless, Lorenzo remains one of the most successful riders of the modern era, clinching 2010, 2012 and 2015 MotoGP titles on Yamaha machinery, while 44 of his 47 career wins also came with the Japanese firm.
Lorenzo’s return to Yamaha has long been rumoured since he chose retirement over the completion of his two-year Repsol Honda deal, with team manager Lin Jarvis delighted to have him return in a pivotal role as the team looks to get back to title winning form.
“Of course, we are delighted to welcome Jorge back at Yamaha. When we knew that Jorge would stop his active racing career, we immediately started to consider making a proposal for him to join us.
"The statistics of his achievements with us in those nine years together speak for themselves. He is a vastly experienced MotoGP rider, who is closely familiar with the M1 and the people at Yamaha.
“We have come to know Jorge as a very precise and motivated rider, with flawless consistency and good technical insight: all the qualities you need in a test rider at this high level.
"Combining Jorge‘s experience, knowledge, and riding speed with experienced Crew Chief Silvano Galbusera is an important element in Yamaha‘s strategy to strengthen the Test Team, which aims to bridge the gap between the engineers and test riders in Japan and the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team.”
Lorenzo will make his official Yamaha return at next week's IRTA Sepang MotoGP tests on February 2-4.
Lorenzo’s appointment completes Yamaha’s rider line-up for the immediate future following the news Maverick Vinales and Fabio Quartararo will ride for the Factory team in 2021 and 2022. Valentino Rossi says he will decide on his future in the coming months with his options either being retirement or shifting over to a factory-spec bike run by the Petronas SRT satellite team.
The return also marks the first time since 2016 that famous rivals Rossi and Lorenzo have been employed by the same team.
