Once in a Lifetime | That time in a kart with… Jorge Lorenzo

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Once in a Lifetime

THAT TIME IN A KART WITH… JORGE LORENZO

Luca Basso

24 December 2022 • 6 min. read

In the present day it’s normal to see him on four wheels. But back then, in 2014, we were lucky enough to participate in an exclusive and unusual day with the MotoGP world champion. Between one chat and another, the Spanish driver gave us various curious anecdotes about his past, but the thing that amazed us the most is when "Por Fuera" used the adjective "extreme" to describe the sensations experienced while driving a Tony Kart Racer EVK shifter. Why? Find out in his words

March is a month like many others but not for drivers, teams and mechanics who are starting to experience an eventful period given the start of the sports championships. And March 2014 is not lacking in this regard: that year the traditional Winter Cup in Lonato took place already at the end of February, while in the following weeks the WSK Champions Cup was staged in the two events in La Conca. However, there is a driver who, with a distinctive red "X" imprinted on his helmet (and on the flag he hoists in the gravel after each victory), on any given day at the 7 Laghi circuit in Castelletto di Branduzzo (a small town located in north Italy), goes around in a kart before tackling the first round… of the MotoGP World Championship. Yes, because he did not plan to race the opening round of the WSK Super Master Series in Sarno on Sunday 23 March, but the Qatar motorcycle Grand Prix in Losail. The champion in question is “Por Fuera”, or more simply… Jorge Lorenzo.

Born in Palma de Mallorca (Spain) in 1987, Jorge Lorenzo began racing motorcycles when he was just 4 years old and, after various successes in the minor classes, in 2002 he made his debut in the 125 cc class of the World Championship, precisely on his 15^th birthday. He won the title in the 250 cc class in the two-year period 2006-2007 with Aprilia and started in MotoGP in 2008 with Yamaha. Known for his sporting rivalry with Valentino Rossi, he won three more world championships (2010, 2012 and 2015). Having finished his two-wheeled career at the end of 2019, he participated in the Porsche Carrera Cup Italia in 2022.

“Por Fuera” is the motto, and nickname, that accompanied Jorge Lorenzo throughout his career, because the Spanish driver loves overtaking on the outside.

But what is the Majorcan doing in an establishment located about seventy kilometres from Milan? Nothing could be simpler: spending a day on four wheels, taking advantage of an event organised by Alfa Romeo (one of his sponsors at the time) and reserved for around ten people, with the logistical and technical supervision of Massimo Bosetto, team manager of Autoeuropeo Motorsport. The climate is one of the best, not only because of the sunny weather and warm temperatures but also for the serenity and intimacy that you can breathe deeply. In short, all the ingredients to have carefree fun are there.