Hours after we got the first rumors of the deal Jorge Lorenzo and Yamaha allegedly agreed upon, here comes the official confirmation: the house of Iwata will have Jorge Lorenzo at the helm of one of its YZR-M1 prototypes for two more seasons.
Since the official information mentions 2 seasons, 2015 and 2016 it is now finally clear that the contract between the 2-time MotoGP champion and team Movistar Yamaha is not the 1+1 deal rumored earlier. 1+1 deals are usually made when either part of the contract has reserves as far as the second half of the agreement is concerned. That is, when a rider is considering that he could find a better arrangement after one season, such as expecting a new team on the grid, a seat which might become vacant in other teams due to retirements or poor results. On the other hand, when the team is not exactly sure on how high the performance of his rider will be, a firm first year is signed for, with the possibility of extending the deal for an extra year being possible with both parts agreement.
Lorenzo was rumored to be wishing for a 1+1 deal, as some voices claimed he would be tempted to leave the Team Blue for Team Red, namely Ducati. Talks took place, but nothing came out of them, except for Ducati supposedly being still looking for ways to have Lorenzo as their rider in the future. Still, there’s a long way ahead, with exactly two and a half seasons until the Mallorcan could be seen wearing other leathers.
Lin Jarvis, Managing Director, Yamaha Motor Racing
“I am very happy we have reached an agreement for Jorge to continue as a Movistar Yamaha MotoGP rider. The new agreement extends Jorge’s seven-year partnership with Yamaha. He started with us as a rookie back in 2008 and together we achieved many great results including 31 GP victories and two MotoGP Rider World Champion titles in 2010 and 2012. The 2014 season has been a tough one for Jorge so far but I am hoping that the confirmation of this new agreement will give him the peace of mind to be able to focus 100% of his energy on the remaining races. Last year we saw what he was able to do when the going was tough and he was fighting back from mid-season injuries so we know that the potential is there for a strong second half to the 2014 season. For 2015 and beyond we have no doubt that Jorge will be a strong title contender and we will do our very best to provide him with the materials and the support he needs to be able to realize our shared ambitions.”
Jorge Lorenzo
“I am very happy to finally be able to make this announcement. It is a relief to be able to now completely focus on the remainder of the 2014 season in the knowledge that our relationship will continue for the next two seasons. It has always been my wish to continue my career with Yamaha; I strongly believe we can fight for a third title together. This season has been very challenging after a difficult start, however we will continue to take it race by race, giving 100% until Valencia. I want to thank Yamaha for their continued belief in me and all the Yamaha fans around the world who continue to support me. After the summer break I’m excited to be back at Indy with my team and focused again on riding.”
So you see, everybody is very happy! Let the battle begin!
PS: And yes, we're probably the first to release the news.
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