Marc Marquez has revealed that he suggested Jorge Lorenzo’s name to Honda for the 2019 season to minimize Ducati’s threat.

Lorenzo, the only rider to have denied Marquez a championship, left Yamaha in 2017 to join Ducati. Although he initially faced challenges adapting to the bike, Lorenzo began winning races in 2018, his second season. However, Ducati had already decided not to renew his contract for 2019.

Lorenzo’s presence at Ducati set off alarm bells for Marquez, as he noticed Ducati’s improving competitiveness. Recognizing the potential danger, Marquez urged Honda to recruit Lorenzo to strengthen their defense against the rising threat from Ducati.

“When Lorenzo was already at Ducati, I told [Honda], ‘They’ve arrived,’” Marquez revealed in the Spanish documentary La vida en rojo. “I said [to Honda], the best strategy is to bring Lorenzo here. Otherwise, another rider with another brand will beat you because Lorenzo is Lorenzo, a five-time world champion.”

At the time, Ducati had begun regaining form in MotoGP under the leadership of technical chief Gigi Dall’Igna. However, Lorenzo, much like his former Yamaha teammate Valentino Rossi, struggled to adapt to the bike initially. Despite this, he managed to achieve three victories in 2018, including back-to-back wins in Mugello and Barcelona.

Nevertheless, Ducati opted to promote Danilo Petrucci from Pramac for 2019, leaving Lorenzo to secure a seat elsewhere.

Reflecting on his time at Ducati, Lorenzo admitted: “I already had a feeling [about the challenges]. Perhaps I thought the adaptation would be faster.

“The bike had great straight-line speed and stability under braking, but it lacked the cornering ability of the Yamaha. I tried to ride the Ducati like the Yamaha, which was a mistake.

“I expected a stronger start in 2018, but it was the opposite. Then I had the misfortune of the triple crash in Jerez, taking out Dovizioso, who was fighting Márquez for the title. That didn’t please Ducati either.

“When I realized my situation was becoming untenable, I picked up the phone and called [Honda boss] Alberto Puig directly.”

After spending the 2019 season as Marquez’s teammate at Honda, Lorenzo retired from professional racing.