MotoGP Gossip: Lorenzo’s paralysis concerns part of retirement call

In the final MotoGP Gossip column of the year, Jorge Lorenzo reveals how concerns over being paralysed were part of his call to retire and Alex Marquez explains how he was selected as Lorenzo’s replacement at Repsol Honda.

- Jorge Lorenzo says concerns over suffering an injury which would leave him paralysed were part of the reasons behind his decision to retire from racing. The 32-year-old explained these thoughts were sharpened after he broke vertebrae in his back in a crash at Assen earlier this year. (BT Sport via Marca)

- Alex Marquez reveals what happened behind the scenes as he signed for Repsol Honda as Jorge Lorenzo’s replacement last month and says his 2020 target is to be inside the top eight in his rookie MotoGP campaign. (AS.com)

- 15-time world champion Giacomo Agostini says if he was in charge of the factory Yamaha team he would sign Maverick Vinales and Fabio Quartararo for 2020 in order to not lose them to rivals and warns Valentino Rossi he has “to look ahead in life, not back”. (Marca via Speedweek)

- Francesco Bagnaia says the biggest problem he faced in his rookie MotoGP season was finishing second fastest in the pre-season Sepang test which gave him a false sense of pace compared to his rivals. Back in February at the Sepang test Bagnaia was only 0.063s off timesheet-topper Danilo Petrucci. (Speedweek)

- In celebration of Dia de los Santos Inocentes (Day of the Holy Innocents) on December 28, Marc Marquez pretends to be a mannequin in his MotoGP leathers and surprises fans as part of a Repsol display in Madrid. (La Gazzetta Dello Sport)