MotoGP, Sportrik Media - Jorge Lorenzo believes Marc Marquez has transformed his riding style to the point where he now appears “almost like me” on track, describing the Spaniard as significantly smoother and more calculated than during his early MotoGP years.
Lorenzo secured three MotoGP world titles between 2010 and 2015 through an ultra-smooth, highly precise riding technique. Marquez, in contrast, entered the premier class with an aggressive and risk-intensive approach, regularly operating at extreme lean angles and pushing braking markers beyond conventional limits.
However, since suffering a serious arm injury in 2020, Marquez has repeatedly acknowledged the need to modify his riding philosophy. According to Lorenzo, that evolution is now clearly evident, particularly with Marquez competing for the factory Ducati team.
“What has impressed me most about Marc is that he has reinvented himself, he has reinvented his riding style,” Lorenzo said during the Sepang test broadcast on MotoGP.com.
“Today, when you see Marc, he almost seems like me. He’s very smooth, he doesn’t make mistakes under braking, he never runs wide, he’s very precise and very fluid when straightening the bike.”
Lorenzo contrasted this with Marquez’s earlier seasons, when his results were built largely on instinct, bravery and an exceptional ability to recover slides.
“When he started in MotoGP, he was completely different. He set his own lap times and reached those speeds purely thanks to his talent. He was brave and took a lot of risks. But now everything he does is very calculated and very thoughtful. He has changed a lot compared to 10 years ago.”
The two Spaniards shared one of the defining rivalries of the 2010s. They battled for the 2013 world championship until the final round, with Marquez ultimately securing his first of seven premier-class titles. Lorenzo later claimed his third MotoGP crown in 2015 before the pair became team-mates at Honda in 2019.
Lorenzo struggled to adapt to the Honda machinery and retired at the end of that season despite holding a contract with HRC for 2020.
Since retiring, Lorenzo has maintained involvement in the paddock, initially as a Yamaha test rider and later as a media analyst. In 2026, he returns in a more structured role after agreeing to serve as performance coach to Maverick Vinales.
Lorenzo’s assessment highlights how Marquez’s modern success is increasingly defined by race intelligence, precision and strategic control rather than outright risk-taking — marking a significant evolution in the seven-time MotoGP champion’s career trajectory.
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