Official: Jorge Lorenzo to race as Yamaha wild-card
Yamaha has officially confirmed that retired five-time world champion Jorge Lorenzo will race as a wild-card at this year's Catalunya MotoGP.
It will be the Spaniard's first race on an M1 since his victorious Yamaha farewell at Valencia in 2016, after which he spent two years at Ducati and then a nightmare injury-interrupted season at Repsol Honda.
Yamaha has officially confirmed that retired five-time world champion Jorge Lorenzo will race as a wild-card at this year's Catalunya MotoGP.
It will be the Spaniard's first race on an M1 since his victorious Yamaha farewell at Valencia in 2016, after which he spent two years at Ducati and then a nightmare injury-interrupted season at Repsol Honda.
After retiring as a full-time rider at Valencia last November, halfway through his planned HRC contract, Lorenzo returned to MotoGP action in his new role as a Yamaha test rider at Sepang in February.
But the 47-time MotoGP race winner will now join fellow M1 riders Valentino Rossi, Maverick Vinales, Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli on the grid in Barcelona on June 5-7.
Back in the saddle again @lorenzo99 will be riding aboard the Yamaha YZR-M1 as a @MotoGP Wild Card at the Catalunya GP #MonsterYamaha #MotoGP #CatalanGP pic.twitter.com/N7DgXV18rN
— Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP (@YamahaMotoGP) March 5, 2020
The Catalunya wild-card had been heavily rumoured, with Yamaha Racing director Lin Jarvis previously stating it would make sense for Lorenzo to do a race at a track where there would also be a Monday test...
I HAVE AN IMPORTANT THING TO ANNOUNCE... #MotoGP #Yamaha pic.twitter.com/P5knxYsFK3
— Jorge Lorenzo (@lorenzo99) March 5, 2020
A revised 2020 MotoGP calendar, following the cancellation of Qatar and postponement of Thailand, has been released today:
Latest 2020 MotoGP Calendar | |||
Round | Date | Race | Circuit |
1 | 8 March | Qatar* (no MotoGP class) | Losail International Circuit |
2 | 5 April | Americas | Circuit of the Americas |
3 | 19 April | Argentina | Termas de Rio Hondo |
4 | 3 May | Jerez | Circuito de Jerez - Angel Nieto |
5 | 17 May | France | Le Mans |
6 | 31 May | Italy | Mugello |
7 | 7 June | Catalunya | Circuit de Barcelona - Catalunya |
8 | 21 June | Germany | Sachsenring |
9 | 28 June | Netherlands | TT Circuit Assen |
10 | 12 July | Finland** | KymiRing |
11 | 9 August | Czech Republic | Brno |
12 | 16 August | Austria | Red Bull Ring - Spielberg |
13 | 30 August | Great Britain | Silverstone |
14 | 13 September | San Marino | Misano |
15 | 27 September | Aragon | MotorLand Aragon |
16 | 4 October | Thailand | Chang International Circuit |
17 | 18 October | Japan | Motegi |
18 | 25 October | Australia | Phillip Island |
19 | 1 November | Malaysia | Sepang |
20 | 15 November | Valencia | Comunitat Valenciana - Ricardo Tormo |
*Evening race.
**Subject to circuit homologation
