Jorge Lorenzo calls Marc Marquez the Ayrton Senna of motorcycling

According to Motorsport.com Italia, Jorge Lorenzo believes the 2026 MotoGP season should have had an incredible finish. Speaking in a long and interesting interview with GPOne.com at EICMA, the five-time world champion pointed out that Jorge Martin's injury in Australia ruined what was an extraordinarily tight title fight. Up until that point, Aprilia, Ducati, Marquez, and Martin were all intensely competitive. Unfortunately, bad luck and small mistakes opened the door for Marc to chase his tenth overall title and eighth in MotoGP, leading up to a match point this weekend in Qatar.

It is a staggering turnaround when you look back at the numbers. At Mugello, Marc found himself trailing the championship leader, Marco Bezzecchi, by a massive 102 points. Now, he sits with a 44-point advantage over Martinator. Lorenzo revealed that he actually predicted Aprilia's potential early in the year during a coffee in Thailand with Aprilia technical director Fabiano Sterlacchini. He told Sterlacchini that if Bezzecchi avoided mistakes and finished races, they would win the championship 100 percent because the Aprilia was capable of leaning much further than the Ducati, feeling lighter, and holding an impressive cornering angle.

Yet, Bezzecchi crashed out right in the first race and followed it up with other critical errors. That technical superiority of the Aprilia ultimately met a force of nature. In Lorenzo's view, Marquez is the Ayrton Senna of motorcycling and the Max Verstappen of motorcycling, operating on an entirely different technical tier once he finally secured the best machine on the grid. When asked if the #93 is winning this championship with his head or his wrist, Lorenzo insisted Marc is still the best technically, performing feats no one else can manage despite his known arm limitations. While Pedro Acosta is arriving with immense power, Marc's arm injury slightly reduces his technical advantage over others; if Marc were at 100 percent, he would win even more.

Looking ahead to 2027, the five-time world champion admitted he is deeply intrigued by the dynamic inside the Borgo Panigale box when Acosta joins Marc, comparing it to when a young Lorenzo was paired with Valentino Rossi. He wonders if Acosta can immediately match or surpass Marquez's level, noting it will be difficult since Marc possesses more experience with Ducati. Even so, Acosta has youth on his side at 23 years old, nearly injury-free, physically at 100 percent, and carrying the enthusiasm and willingness to risk without worrying about getting hurt.

Finally, Lorenzo addressed Francesco Bagnaia, who is wrapping up his Ducati adventure amid a major crisis despite their past two titles together. He is convinced that Bagnaia's switch to Aprilia for next season will benefit the Italian rider, allowing him to express himself at his true level again on the RS-GP. Lorenzo notes that Bagnaia will feel very comfortable with the change of air, especially without a teammate as technically strong as Marquez by his side, facing instead Marco Bezzecchi, who is excellent but not Marc. Because Aprilia builds a precise motorcycle with great cornering line and important lean angles, Lorenzo believes Bagnaia's smooth riding style will adapt wonderfully to the machine.