Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi are on the 2018 Italian MotoGP podium

Jorge Lorenzo lauds Valentino Rossi as a rider who is always competitive in every season and has the chance to win in the 2019 racing season.

Lorenzo, who had a bad relationship with Rossi, admitted his rival had never looked old on the race track.

"Being a team with Vale helped me. He is intelligent and able to exploit all of his talents. It requires maximum commitment, but it cannot be replicated, he is unique. Valentino is a legacy in the world of motorbike racing," Lorenzo told Corriere Della Sera.

"He has always performed well despite increasingly difficult competition. I think he can win the tenth world title next year or a year after that. It doesn't depend on him, but Yamaha, he is like Peter Pan, he is always 20 years younger," continued the owner of three the MotoGP title.

While for this year's racing season Lorenzo assesses the world championship competition is still open.

Lorenzo while ranked sixth with 85 points or 80 points adrift of Marquez who leads the 2018 MotoGP rider standings.

"Valentino was ranked second with 46 points behind. I was 80 points adrift. The championship was still going on for a long time, there was still a chance to catch up to Marc," explained Lorenzo.

The Spaniard has won two wins from nine series in the first half of the season or is the second rider to collect most of the series after Marquez who collected five series.

The second half of 2018 MotoGP racing which leaves 10 races will begin at Czech MotoGP which will take place Sunday (5/8).

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