Jorge Lorenzo will join the Honda MotoGP team from 2019 on a two year deal, replacing Dani Pedrosa at the Japanese factory.
He will join reigning MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez at the team, a combination that many in the MotoGP paddock have waited for years to see play out.
Lorenzo joined Ducati on a two year deal for the 2017 MotoGP season from Yamaha with a deaql worth a staggering 12 million euro’s a season, although the relationship between the two has been far from smooth.
Lorenzo struggled from the get-go to understand the Desmosedici and, despite scoring his first podium for Ducati at the Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez last year, failed to score a win all year.
Lorenzo confirmed after the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday that his relationship with current team Ducati was effectively over, and that he expected to compete with a new team for 2019.
This came despite taking his maiden victory with the Bologna-based squad just minutes before, Lorenzo thought to have agreed a deal in principle with Honda during the weekend.
From 2019, Lorenzo will become teammate to four-times MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez,” said Honda in a short statement.
“Two great champions with great talent and high hopes that will make a stronger team and contribute to the development of HRC.”
Lorenzo’s confirmation at Honda will likely now act as a catalyst for several other deals around the paddock, with Danilo Petrucci taking Lorenzo’s seat at Ducati now a formaillity.
Joan Mir is the chief target for Suzuki, as confirmed by Davide Brivio at Mugello on Sunday, while Andrea Iannone will likely end up at Aprilia once the music stops.
