He may we a World Motorcycle Champion three times over, but Jorge Lorenzo is yet to pass his test to ride on the road.
The 24 year-old Spanish rider, who won the 2010 Moto GP championship for Yamaha after taking the 2006 and 2007 250cc titles, recently admitted that he is taking riding lessons to gain his licence to ride a bike on the road.
Jorge Lorenzo with teacher Javi Image: motogp.com |
Although he gained a car licence at the age of 18, the superfast bike rider - whose record includes 17 race wins and 44 podium finishes - admitted that he "hadn't felt the need" to gain a road bike licence as it wasn't necessary for racing. Now, Lorenzo has swapped his 800cc, 340kmh+ Yamaha YZR-M1 for a humble 250cc road bike.
He is unlikely to have any problems with his ability to handle the bike around the busy roads of Barcelona and has already passed his theory test.
However, one of the world's fastest bike racers faces the challenge of having train his enthusiastic throttle hand. "My teacher Javi is the only person in the world who has told me to go slower on a bike, and I have to pay attention if I want to pass the exam. If you go fast, you don’t pass," Lorenzo said.