Like many top riders, Jorge Lorenzo had his major rivals throughout his career in the World Championships. One of them was Dani Pedrosa, a rivalry that began even before they reached MotoGP – when they competed in the 250cc class.
The rider from Palma de Mallorca reminisced about that period in an interview on the Tengo un Plan podcast. Lorenzo even mentioned that it was a rivalry that sometimes received more attention from the press than the premier class:
– It depends on the era. For example, in the 250cc era, in the early years of MotoGP: Pedrosa. In the 250cc class, there was more talk about the 250cc than MotoGP with [Valentino] Rossi and [Sete] Gibernau. A controversy was created both on and off the track with cross-statements between Alberto Puig and Dani Amatriain, my first manager, cross-statements between me and Dani, the press rubbing their hands. Every day they were publishing that battle.