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Two former teammates Jorge Lorenzo and Ben Spies were the protagonists of a fun interview conducted by Matt Birt. Of course, they immediately spoke of the Majorcan’s new role as test rider for Yamaha and the possibility of a return to MotoGP.
"I took this job as a hobby - explained Lorenzo – because I like to ride and I think it's a good opportunity to keep riding with the bike and at the same time give something to the brand that gave me the opportunity to enter MotoGP and gave me 3 world titles. If being test rider of Yamaha doesn't happen, it will be the same, it’s not something that doesn't let me sleep at night. I don't know if I will be able to make a race without testing before, like I was planning to do in Montmelò. "
For this season, however, all wild-cards have been cancelled. Jorge, however, swears he doesn’t worry too much.
"Honestly, I didn’t take the decision to race in Barcelona to test myself as a rider or to understand or feel if I can go back to racing - he underlined - For the moment I closed that chapter of my life, I don't feel the necessity or will to come back, even if in life you never know. "
This explanation, however, did not convince Ben who joked: “Montmelò is a helluva track to do a wildcard on if it’s just for fun! It’s not like you’re not fast there! ”.
Lorenzo immediately took the bait: “You don’t have the same lifestyle as a professional MotoGP rider, you don’t train the same or take it so seriously. When you go there and try to beat these guys you need to be 100%. I have already changed my mentality, so I just wanted to have fun and enjoy the weekend, not try to make any special results. Even if Ben doesn't believe it.”
The Texan is convinced that the Majorcan would not have gone badly at all however: “It would have been awesome to see Jorge race again. As soon as I saw him get on the Yamaha, he looked back at home immediately, like 2011 to 2015. It would have been fun to watch," he said.
A few years ago, Ben too had thought of a return to racing, in MotoAmerica with Ducati.
"A couple of years ago there was something that was on the table in America. It was possible, but it was difficult to put stuff together. I'm not stupid, being that many years away, everything should have been as I wanted it and it wouldn't have been easy. Maybe when Jorge’s 40 and I’m 45, we could do something in Endurance ".
Jorge did not miss the opportunity to comment: "Ben, you could be a Superbike test rider and do some wildcards just for fun!".
Finally Lorenzo answered two of Ben's questions. The first was which was his most difficult World Championship title to win.
“The hardest world title was 2015 even though the first one you have a lot of pressure because you never did it before - he said – I was lucky enough to win a lot of races and I had a clear advantage over Pedrosa. 2015 was a different story because already in Qatar Valentino won the race and I finished 4th, so I was behind him in the championship. For 17 races I was second behind him, trying to catch him, sometimes I saw the championship was impossible, like the time I injured my ligaments in training. I came to Motegi injured, I started leading the race, thought I could win, but I finished 3rd and Valentino beat me, I was far away in the points. Then came the Malaysia thing, I had the opportunity to win the title in Valencia and I didn't miss it. "
The second, however, at what age Jorge understood that he would become a professional driver.
"At 10 years old, when I won my first national championship - he explained - Then I reconfirmed when I won my first race in the World Championship in 2003 with Derbi at 16 years old, I said to myself: ok, I won't go back to do a normal job".
