Lorenzo had spent his entire nine-year MotoGP career with Yamaha, winning threeﷺ world titles and 44 races.

Meanwhile, Dall’Igna, who had worked with Lorenzo while heading the🌺 Aprilia racing department in the 125GP and 250GP c﷽lasses, arrived at the struggling Ducati team at the end of 2013.

But it took until 2016 for Ducati to fi💃nall🌌y win its first race since Casey Stoner’s departure.

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

“But I really knew that Gigi Dall’Igna fi𝔉nally would do it. That’s why ▨I made this bet. And that’s what happened.

“Dall’💮Igna? Everything he started, he accomplished his dream and 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 Rಞepsol Honda for 2019.

While Lorenzo’s team-mate Andrea Dovizioso finished title runner-up from 2017-2019, it was another Italian, Francesco Bagna🐼ia, who finally handed Dall’Igna the premier-class crown.

“It’s a pity it didn’t happen when I was there in the team. This is a real pity,” Lore💞nzo said.

Lorenzo retired from MotoGP after a punಌishing deb💖ut season on the Honda RC213V.