Earlier today Jorge Lorenzo made his first appearance as a Honda rider, wearing the official team attire. The Spaniard released a video interview, in which he delves into his move from Ducati to the Japanese outfit. In the upcoming season Lorenzo will be racing alongside the reigning world champion Marc Marquez, shaping a five-star line-up.  

His first words in Honda colours might sound cliché but they are actually very rich in meaning. He kicked off his new era through a measured and sly speech, remembering the past from a technical point of view first, and then he drew a comparison between his old and his new team. By doing that, Lorenzo blearily unleashed the frustration he built up owing to Ducati's work ethic and perhaps lack of trus, culminating on the exciting pairing he will make with Marquez.

Lorenzo explained that he fits better on the Honda bike, compared to the Ducati. In fact, his initial struggles were linked to the dimensions and the driveability of the bike. "The Honda suits me better in terms of its dimensions. -he said- It’s more compact, smaller and I reach the ground better on it. I feel safer going into corners, because the closer you are to the ground, the more confidence you have. Last season I rode a completely different bike, that was very big and very tall. Maybe it was a little too big for me.”

"The first impression was positive and I saw a lot of potential there."

The Spaniard also had the chance to shoot on Ducati, though in a subtle way. Known for his full disclosure applied in all forms, Lorenzo never hid his dissatisfaction towards Ducati, which failed to quickly put his advice into facts. Once the team fully trusted him with the development he suggested in 2018, he had already chosen to walk away from Borgo Panigale.

"One of the things that impressed me most was the ability of the Repsol Honda team to react, providing what you ask for.”

"I was quite clear, Honda took note of all my indications and within a few days they had everything ready, and we had a fuel tank almost 100 percent to my liking” he said.

There is a lot of speculation on what Marquez and Lorenzo’s relationship is going to be like. The pairing is endowed with a strong mediatic charge, other than a legendary aura due to the marvellous combination of their talent.

"All riders have our strengths and our weaknesses," declared Lorenzo. "Marc also has them. I will try to learn from his strengths, and I guess he will try to learn from mine.

"We will push each other; I will want to beat him and he will want to beat me, and that always makes the team grow and helps provide new technical progress for the bike."