So far it’s not been a year for title defences. In football, Chelsea’s band of multimillion-pound mercenaries have failed to muster a single performance resembling that of Premier League champions, whilst in Formula One, Lewis Hamilton has had to watch on glumly as his teammate has triumphed in all three events so far this year. Jordan Spieth’s catastrophic meltdown at the Masters golf last weekend was uncharacteristic in the extreme, whilst in a sport close to my heart, last year’s treble-winning champs Leeds Rhinos languish in the bottom two of rugby league’s table in England.

Nothing quite so dramatic in MotoGP but Jorge Lorenzo’s own defence has faltered since winning the opening race of the season in Qatar. The Mallorcan crashed out in Argentina, whilst the six-second gap to Marquez in Texas was somewhat on the generous side after his compatriot cruised across the line. It hasn’t quite been the disaster we’ve seen in other sports; Lorenzo lies second on 45 points, but he and Yamaha were supposed to be reaping the benefits of a Honda which is clearly nowhere near its peak, despite Marc Marquez performing magic tricks on board.

The next few races are going to be key, traditionally strong venues for Yamaha but they now come in the wake of the confirmation of Lorenzo’s departure to Ducati. Every negative comment, every surprising manoeuvre and every single point lost will come under the microscope as fans and the media look hungrily for signs that the divorce is starting early.

We’ll get a better idea of the reigning champ’s motives for jumping ship once we’re in Jerez, because as if there wasn’t enough fuel on the fire heading to the manic Spanish Grand Prix, he appears in the pre-event press conference alongside Lin Jarvis, Yamaha Racing’s MD. However, that still allows us a couple of days of speculation as to why the Spaniard has finally decided to take up an offer that has sat on the table since 2009 – he has long been at the top of Ducati’s shopping list.

Firstly, the Italian bike is clearly competitive since this year’s rule changes. Even without the concessions of previous seasons, Dovizioso and Iannone could easily have racked up three podiums apiece. Lorenzo would undoubtedly rate himself as being at least a couple of tenths quicker than the Italian duo, and Casey Stoner’s performances out of the box in testing will have heartened him.

Whilst the Aussie and the Spaniard are close allies, the question is whether he and the Ducati will get on quite as well. Lorenzo is famed for his smoothness on the Yamaha but, up to now, success on the Desmosedici came with aggressive riders like Stoner. Dovi in turn is an extremely late braker, whereas Jorge is quite the opposite – early on the brakes, lots of corner speed, with that classical arcing 250-style line. Having said that, the bike looks well sorted at the moment, and in particular the mechanical grip as it drives out of corners is plain for all to see (on a side note this is where many feel the problems with the Michelins have derived).

I don’t see money as much of a motivating factor – rumours are that he will command a fee only about 25% more at Ducati – but he certainly doesn’t have the mass market appeal of a Rossi or Marquez. Less endorsements mean less overall income, so that extra couple of million dollars could well be sweetening things a little as the soon-to-be 29 year-old looks towards the back end of his career.

One of the main factors for me in his decision is about legacy. If Lorenzo were to stay at Yamaha, he could have been an ambassador for life – but Rossi’s extended deal means he will always remain in the shadow of his nemesis. The Italian will forever be the man who transformed Yamaha’s fortunes in the MotoGP era, and it’s easy to see why that rankled with Lorenzo, having won three titles to Rossi’s two since he entered the premier class and always feeling like the odd man out.

Despite Rossi’s comments about needing ‘a big pair of balls’ to go to Ducati, Jorge has more than enough bottle, as we’ve seen through the torrid mental and physical battles he’s overcome through the years. Moving to Ducati gives him the chance to throw one back in Rossi’s face. To succeed where his rival was unable, and simultaneously cement his legend in the sport by becoming part of that elite bunch of riders to have won on two different manufacturers.

There will be no guarantees but he now has the chance to transform the Ducati back into a title-winning package and become the man ‘who could’. For me, that surely is the most appealing part of this move, and credit must go to Lorenzo for not taking the path of least resistance. He has backed himself like a true champion should but the next few races will be crucial as to whether he goes to Ducati as a reigning or a former champion.

Photo by CormacGP