Jorge Lorenzo to race alongside Marc Marquez at Repsol Honda next season

Three-time MotoGP world champion Jorge Lorenzo is to join fellow Spaniard Marc Marquez at the Repsol Honda team next season.

Lorenzo is to leave Ducati after two so far largely unsuccessful seasons which followed his switch from Yamaha where he won his MotoGP titles.

Lorenzo is to replace fellow Spaniard Dani Pedrosa who is to leave Honda after 13 seasons having finished runner-up in the world title race three times.

The announcement of Lorenzo’s signing comes just days after he won for the first time on a Ducati at the Italian MotoGP race at Mugello on Sunday.

Honda said in a statement: “Honda Racing Corporation is pleased to announce the signing of three-times MotoGP world champion Jorge Lorenzo. The Spanish rider will join the Repsol Honda team for the next two years.

“From 2019, Lorenzo will become team-mate to four-times MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez: two great champions with great talent and high hopes that will make a stronger team and contribute to the development of HRC.”

Lorenzo’s replacement on the factory Ducati team will be Italian Danilo Petrucci.