JORGE LORENZO

Jorge Lorenzo (born May 4, 1987 in Palma de Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain), is a professional motorcycle road racer. He was the 2006 and 2007 250cc World Champion

125s and 250s

Lorenzo made his championship debut on his fifteenth birthday, on the second qualifying day for the 2002 125cc Spanish Grand Prix - having to miss Friday practice as he was not old enough to race. Lorenzo sucks a lollipop every time he has podium finish, in reference to his sponsor Chupa Chups. Lorenzo dominated the 2007 250cc World Championship[2]. His nine pole positions lead to nine victories in 2007, and all his 2006 poles bar Motegi led to victories in 2006.

Jorge's victory at Misano in 2007 was his 16th in the 250cc class, making him the most successful Spanish rider of all time in the 250cc GP class -- with one more victory than Dani Pedrosa and Sito Pons.

MotoGP

After being linked with a Yamaha MotoGP ride for 2008,[3] on 25 July 2007 he was confirmed as Valentino Rossi's partner on a two year deal for the 2008 MotoGP season[4][5]. Lorenzo made a great start to his MotoGP career, after qualifying on pole for the Qatar night race on March 8 and placing 2nd. He followed this up with pole at the second round in Jerez, Spain and 3rd Position, and pole in round 3 at Estoril, Portugal. He converted this pole into a victory, his maiden win in the Premier Class. In doing so, he became the youngest rider in MotoGP to finish on the podium in his first three races[6], taking the record from compatriot (and bitter rival)[7] Dani Pedrosa by a single day.
By this stage of the Championship, Jorge Lorenzo was in joint first place with Pedrosa, but on May 1st 2008 Lorenzo was thrown from his bike during practice for the MotoGP Grand Prix of China. Lorenzo suffered a chipped bone and snapped ligament in his left ankle, and a fractured bone in his right.[8] He was still able to finish the race in 4th place. Two weeks later at Le Mans, Lorenzo suffered two accidents in the practice sessions but managed to post a 2nd place result.[9] In the following race in Italy he crashed during the race after qualifying seventh on the grid[10]. The next week at Catalunya he experienced his fifth crash in four meetings, the practice session accident forcing him to miss the race.

At both Donington Park and Assen he was observed to be riding more conservatively after a series of injuries, but moved up the order in the later part of the race to finish 6th in each case. He has commented that he is stronger in the latter parts of races, preferring the bike when it e.is low on fuel. In the next meeting at Sachsenring, however, Lorenzo crashed out of the race during very wet conditions[11]. Lorenzo suffered yet more injuries to his feet at the USGP at Laguna Seca on July 20, when he experienced his seventh crash in only three months. During the first lap a spectacular highside left Lorenzo with a sore right foot (or ankle) and three broken bones in his left foot, specifically the third, fourth and fifth metatarsals. All Lorenzo could manage at brno was a 10th place because of his michelin tyres lacking grip. At Misano and Lorenzo returned to form and clinched a 2nd place. Indianapolis was also a good race and he stood on the podium again this time in third position.