Why Is MotoGP Champion Jorge Lorenzo Uncool?

Sunday, October 17th, 2010

by Barry Russell

This was Jorge Lorenzo’s year and at the age of just 23 and in his third season in MotoGP he has won the greatest prize in motorcycle sport. Yes, Valentino Rossi’s injuries kept him out of contention, Casey Stoner struggled with his Ducati for most of the season and Dani Pedrosa’s recent injury stifled his championship challenge, but I honestly believe his time had come and he deserves his triumph and all that comes with it.

So, with all that, why is he so uncool? Motorcycles are cool and people who can ride them fast epitomise cool, so what is Lorenzo missing?

He’s fabulously fast and talented and has a big following of fans for a motorcycle racer. He’s young, he’s rich, good-enough looking and actually, he’s not missing anything. He’s uncool because of his obsession with Valentino Rossi.

Rossi is one of those rare people who transcend his chosen occupation thanks to a generous, natural layer of charisma on top of a world class talent; Luciano Pavarotti, Mohammed Ali and David Beckham are other examples. All three transformed the popularity and financial dynamics of their chosen professions.

Of the current crop of top motorcycle racers there is nobody else that reaches supporters outside of the sport and arguably hasn’t been since Barry Sheene. Within it there is partisan support for Casey Stoner, Dani Pedrosa, Ben Spies and, of course, the new world champion. Stoner, Pedrosa and Spies appear satisfied with the money and trappings of success that their talents and dedication are bringing them and, in their own ways, each of them has a kind of cool. Lorenzo, though, wants to be adored and usurp Rossi with his Lorenzo’s Land flag plantings, dressing up and post race celebrations, but he is just too gauche to carry it off. Motegi’s post race celebration was typical when his flag got caught in his back wheel and caused his bike to stall. After his win at Jerez, he jumped into the lake and, by his own admission, almost drowned when his visor snapped shut and his leathers got soaked and impossibly heavy.

Even on the track the ruthless Rossi wins the really crucial head-to-head scraps, like Motegi and Barcelona in 2009, which happened a few days after Lorenzo had demanded to be Yamaha’s number one rider.

The new champion’s management should do him a favour and convince him to stop trying to beat Rossi at his own game and be himself. His brilliance will continue to win him admirers and his savvy use of Twitter will accelerate that and build his own kind of cool. Jorge Lorenzo has already assured himself a place in motorcycle racing history, but it won’t be as the man who out-Rossi’d Rossi.