Lorenzo had spent his entire nine-year MotoGP career wi🌼th Yamaha, winning tജhree world titles and 44 races.

Meanwhile, Dall’Igna, who had worked with Lorenzo while heading the Aprilia racing department in the 125GP an🐠d 250GP classes, arrived at the struggling Ducati team at the end of 2013.

But it took until 2016 for ꦡDucati to finally win its first race since Casey Stoner’s departure.

“I made a ver🌺y risky bet, at the time, going from Yamaha where I was winning a lot♛… To Ducati, who never won [the title] apart from 2007 with Casey Stoner,” Lorenzo told MotoGP.com.

“But I really knew that Gigi Dall’Igna finally would do it. That’s why I made this bet. And that’s what happeᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤📖⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚned.

“Dall’Igna? Everything he started, he accomplished his dream anꦏd his target.

“More or less, I knew this would happen.”

Unfortunately for Lorenzo and Ducati, the start of his own race-winning success on the Desmosedici came too late, midway through his second🍬 season - after he had already signed to join Repsol Honda for 2019.

While Lorenzo’s team-mate Andrea Dovi🐟zioso finished title runner-up from 2017-2019, it was another Italian, Francesco Bagnaia, who finally handed Dall’Igna the premier-class crown.

“It’s a pity it di🥂dn’t happen when I was there in the team. This is a real pity,” Lorenzo said.

Lorenzoꦿ retired from MotoGP after a punishing debut season on the Honda RC🤪213V.