Lorenzo: "If I had imagined that Rossi would return to Yamaha I would have vetoed him"

November 30, 2021

On the occasion of Valentino Rossi’s retirement, DAZN Italy has dedicated a documentary to him with the presence of some of his main opponents, an opportunity to see how they faced the rivalry with the Italian star on the track when he was at the peak of his career.

One of the most interesting points of view is that of Jorge Lorenzo, who was his teammate at Yamaha for seven years. The couple was formed in 2008, when the Spaniard reached the queen category and was greeted with a wall that separated the two sides of the box.

“When I came to Yamaha in 2008, they put that wall between our two teams to prevent the exchange of information,” recalls Lorenzo, who also believes that the team was more focused on Rossi, who by then had won five MotoGP titles and was a star. inside and outside the box.

#99 explained that he realized that, despite the border between the two halves of the garage, he was being closely watched. “My coach went to Tavullia to talk to his coach and tell him what he was doing, so he could improve his physical condition. I didn’t like him so much because he wanted to keep the secrets of how to improve and go faster, because he wanted to beat Valentino. From photos on social media I realized that Valentino had started using the bikes that I used at Germo di Lesmo. So I understood that it was Meregalli or someone else at Yamaha who had told him how I trained with my father.”

The Spaniard is now laughing at the strange dynamic that played out during the early part of his partnership with Rossi. Following the Italian’s departure in 2011, two years later he was back, having admitted that had Yamaha not opened him up again, his career would probably have ended there. Lorenzo believes he could have had a huge impact on his rival’s fate at the time.

“When you go through six or seven races with bad results, your value drops quickly. As he went to Ducati and had two bad seasons, Valentino’s value changed drastically from what it was two years earlier when he was winning with Yamaha. I, instead, I could ask for more or less what I wanted. So if it had occurred to me to say that I didn’t want Valentino to return to Yamaha, I’m sure Yamaha would have accepted it,” he says.

“I did not do it because I did not think about it, I did not imagine that Yamaha wanted to sign Valentino. If I had thought about it, I would have surely done it because it is a natural thing. It is said that Valentino himself, a few years ago, prevented Stoner from joining Yamaha . I do not know if it’s true…”.

“I tried,” confirmed Casey Stoner in this same documentary. “I was about to sign with Yamaha two years in a row. Maybe you can imagine it as well as I can, someone at Yamaha prevented me from going. I was disappointed because I really wanted to be a teammate with Valentino. I wanted to learn alongside him.”

↓ Photos: 20 world champions who ‘retired’ Valentino Rossi ↓

Alex Criville

1 / 20

The 500cc champion in 1999 only matched Rossi in 2000 and 2001, before announcing his retirement.

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Kenny Roberts Jr.

2 / 20

Roberts deprived Rossi of winning the title on his 500cc debut in 2000. The American remained active until mid-2007.

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Max Biaggi

3 / 20

Four-time 250cc champion, he was Rossi’s main rival in the beginning. He left MotoGP in 2005 to go to WorldSBK, where he added two more titles before leaving the competition in 2012.

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Casey Stoner

4 / 20

The MotoGP champion in 2007 and 2011 retired in 2012 at just 27 years old.

Photo by: Bob Heathcote

Jorge Lorenzo

5 / 20

The three-time MotoGP champion was able to beat Rossi with the same bike. In 2019 he retired after passing through Honda at the age of 32.

Photo by: Yamaha Motor Racing

Daniel Pedrosa

6 / 20

Pedrosa came to MotoGP in 2006 as the great hope to beat Rossi, but he retired in 2018 without being able to do so. He left with two 250cc titles and one 125cc title.

Photo by: Camel Media Service

Charles Czech

7 / 20

Checa achieved glory outside of MotoGP. In 2013 he retired from WorldSBK after being crowned two years earlier.

Photo by: Gauloises Fortuna Racing

Loris Capirossi

8 / 20

With two titles in 125cc and one in 250cc, in MotoGP he did not go beyond third position. He left it in 2011 at the age of 38.

Photo by: Ducati Corse

Oliver Jack

9 / 20

The 250cc champion in 2000 failed to succeed in the premier class and retired in 2007.

Photo by: Gauloises Fortuna Racing

Troy Bayliss

10 / 20

Like Rossi, Bayliss has extended his career in different championships to beyond 40 years. He was WorldSBK champion in 2001 before going to MotoGP. After leaving the category, he added another two titles in the series-derived motorcycle world championship in 2006 and 2008, when he left the first level.

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Colin Edwards

11 / 20

The two-time WorldSBK champion retired in 2014 at the age of 40.

Photo by: Yamaha Motor Racing

ben spies

12 / 20

Injuries led the 2009 WorldSBK champion to retirement in 2013 at just 27 years old.

Photo by: Yamaha MotoGP

Marco Melandri

13 / 20

Melandri hung up his helmet in 2019 at the age of 37 and the 250cc title in 2002 under his belt.

Photo by: Gresini Racing

Stefan Bradl

14 / 20

Although not officially retired, the 2011 Moto2 champion retrained as a Honda tester since 2018 after a brief stint in WorldSBK and has participated in some races as a wild card.

Photo by: Red Bull GmbH and GEPA pictures GmbH

James Toseland