Jorge Lorenzo has compared Marc Marquez’s MotoGP technique with Ayrton Senna and Max Verstappen in an interview during the Milan Motorcycle Show. He said Marquez continues to make a difference despite serious injuries and expressed interest in his future contest with Pedro Acosta as a team-mate.
Technique impresses a former team-mate
Lorenzo shared the Honda garage with Marquez in 2019, after winning the MotoGP title in 2010, 2012 and 2015. His assessment therefore also draws on experience working alongside the rider.
“He is the Ayrton Senna of motorcycling, the Max Verstappen of MotoGP,” Lorenzo said. He considers Marquez’s technique exceptional and believes a competitive motorcycle enables him to show that advantage.
In Lorenzo’s view, injuries have changed Marquez’s riding style and the way he approaches a Grand Prix weekend, while his core technical ability remains outstanding. He said Marquez has achieved things others cannot since arriving in MotoGP and continues to make a difference despite the condition of his arm.
Injury also shapes the title contest
Lorenzo discussed Jorge Martin’s injury in Australia, saying it had diminished what could have been an extremely close end to the season. Aprilia, Ducati and both riders had been highly competitive, he said, but injury or a few wrong decisions can alter a championship.
Marquez has also undergone surgery and missed racing this season before returning to the front. Lorenzo particularly values the level he has shown while managing physical limitations.
Acosta offers another point of comparison
Lorenzo sees Acosta as a potential successor and praised his rapid progress. With the two due to share the Ducati team next season, he is curious to see whether Acosta can quickly approach or even challenge Marquez’s level.
He highlighted Marquez’s greater Ducati experience and Acosta’s youth, physical condition and willingness to take risks. Lorenzo also referred to his own years alongside Valentino Rossi as an example of a more experienced team-mate facing a younger challenger.
