Jorge Lorenzo: “Maverick Vinales has more talent and speed than Pedro Acosta”

Some have already labelled them the odd couple, while others predict they won’t even make it together to the first grand prix of the 2026 MotoGP campaign in March. Jorge Lorenzo, however, brushes off such comments with the same mindset that defined him during his racing career - letting them go in one ear and out the other.

Now, six years after hanging up his leathers, and 10 years on from celebrating the last of the three MotoGP world titles on his CV, the Spaniard has set himself the goal of passing on all the knowledge and experience he accumulated to Maverick Vinales.

With his new coach, the Tech3 KTM rider is looking to project the best version of himself - the one that has brought him 10 MotoGP wins and 35 podiums - but to make it appear far more consistently. Ultimately, the aim is to raise the baseline of his results and avoid the sharp downturns that have weighed him down in a championship as competitive as the current one.

“Some people say we won’t even make it to Buriram together, but I’ve never cared about what people say,” Lorenzo told Motorsport.com.

The agreement between the two was finalised towards the end of last season, more specifically in Lombok, although contact had been ongoing for some time. “We started talking when he was still at Aprilia, and this year we met in Indonesia," added Lorenzo, who also works as a commentator for Spanish broadcaster DAZN.

"There, Maverick told me he was going to fully commit to working with me, that he would become a soldier. My intuition told me he was someone who took things seriously and the truth is I’ve found a very calm, very mature guy, in a very zen state."

Maverick Vinales with Jorge Lorenzo

Photo by: Jorge Lorenzo

Throughout his career, the Yamaha world champion (2010, 2012 and 2015) was known for his ability to shut out external noise at certain stages and perform at the very limit of his considerable potential. Now, he is directing that same focus and dedication towards Vinales, even though in motorcycle racing there is no direct cause-and-effect relationship between effort and results.

The working plan is similar to the one that led Lorenzo to become the benchmark of the grid in his day - but improved. It is a multidisciplinary programme combining technical exercises on the bike with physical and body work (stretching), as well as mental training (meditation). The group has also been joined by Chicho, Lorenzo’s father and arguably the person who had the greatest influence on the successes of the #99.

“In tennis, since the 1970s, all players have had former players as coaches. In football, the coach is hugely important," said Lorenzo. "In motorcycling, until now, people just went training and did laps. They were light-years away from athletes, gymnasts and the like.

"If you analyse it, my father was the first true coach. I wish I had had a world champion like [Mick] Doohan or [Max] Biaggi by my side, and a technical coach like my father, with all the knowledge he’s accumulated.”

This week, the three of them met in Valencia, where Vinales was seen riding the ‘figure eights’ drawn on the ground that Lorenzo famously spent countless hours practising. A couple of days earlier, the Balearic accompanied Vinales on a visit to KTM’s factory in Austria, where ‘Giorgio’ was pleasantly impressed by the facilities and the reception.

“There are so many things that lead you to win or not win that you have to work on all of them. The first one he already has, which is talent. Then there’s the bike; then the physical aspect; and then the mental one. The bike is what can condition you, because once you’ve extracted its maximum potential, it can also limit you,” explained Lorenzo, who insisted he is absolutely blown away by the natural ability of his new protege: “I have never seen a rider with as much talent as him.”

Lorenzo has always been seen as someone who thinks big, and that is exactly what he wants Vinales to do with his goals. But, he says, to reach the very top you have to take things step by step.

“I don’t just want to win - I want to dominate," said the 38-year-old, who will be seen alongside Vinales during pre-season testing and at the opening rounds of the upcoming calendar.

"Right now, my objective is for Maverick to be KTM’s lead rider this year. It will be difficult, because Pedro Acosta is very good and has been working extremely hard for many years. But in terms of speed and talent, Maverick is better; he has more than him."

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