In a recent documentary on Ducati titled “La vida en rojo”, Marc Marquez revealed that he advised Honda to sign Jorge Lorenzo to prevent the rise of the Italian brand in MotoGP. Lorenzo, three-time world champion, made the big leap to Ducati at the end of 2016 after an entire career at Yamaha, at a time when Ducati was rebuilding its competitiveness.
In 2017, while Marquez dominated as a three-time MotoGP world champion, Lorenzo had just joined Ducati after an exceptional career at Yamaha. Despite a difficult first season in 2017 with only three podiums, Marc Marquez
had seen in Lorenzo a latent danger. “ Just when Lorenzo was already at Ducati, I said to Honda: 'They arrived. The best strategy is to take Lorenzo and put him here at Honda. Otherwise, another driver from another brand will beat you because Lorenzo is Lorenzo, five times world champion.’ »
Ducatiin full rebirth, took time to adapt to his new champion. In 2018, after a slow start to the season, Lorenzo won his first victories with Ducatitriumphant in Italy, Barcelona and Austria. However, an injury at the Aragon Grand Prix halted his momentum, and he left the Italian brand at the end of the season.
Hondalistening Marquezsigned Lorenzo for 2019. But this decision, although tactically daring, proved disastrous for “Por Fuera”. Lorenzo never managed to adapt to the RC213V, a demanding motorcycle designed around the aggressive styling of Marquez. Two serious falls, in Barcelona and Assen, led to a back injury and precipitated his retirement at the end of the season.
Marc Marquez today joined the manufacturer he wanted to weaken
This strategy, often referred to as “strategic co-optation”, aims to integrate a rival to neutralize its threat while exploiting its talents. In this case, the idea was clear: remove Lorenzo ranks of
Ducatiwhere he was beginning to excel, and bring him to
Honda to minimize its impact.
After years of struggle on a Honda in decline, Marquez joined in 2024 Gresini Ducati and notched three victories, proving that talent can flourish with a competitive machine. In 2025, he will pilot a Ducati official, becoming himself one of the pillars of the Italian brand that he once feared.
The episode highlights the complexity of strategic dynamics in MotoGP. Recruiting a rival to weaken your former team is part of a policy intended to perpetuate your own domination. For
Hondathe attempt to neutralize Lorenzo certainly delayed a precipitous decline deadline with the departure of its flagship driver Marc Marquez. Pour
Ducatithe departure of Lorenzo
will have been a temporary setback before validating its current domination. And for Marquezthe story comes full circle, as he now joins the manufacturer he had wanted to weaken.
