Moto GP
Unyielding Respect: Jorge Lorenzo Reflects on ‘Brutal’ 2015 and Rivalry with Valentino Rossi
The intense year of 2015 hasn't diminished Jorge Lorenzo's admiration for Valentino Rossi. Lorenzo acknowledges that both he and Rossi might have achieved more victories if the other hadn't been in the picture.
Jorge Lorenzo describes his last year of winning the MotoGP championship in 2015 as "intense" because of the disputes involving Valentino Rossi. Despite this, he now holds "the highest regard" for the motorsport icon.
Between 2008 and 2010, and later from 2013 to 2016, Lorenzo and Rossi had a contentious partnership while racing together for Yamaha.
The competition between them likely intensified in 2015 when Lorenzo secured the championship title. During this time, Rossi accused Marc Marquez of plotting against him to prevent the Italian from claiming the world title that year.
Rossi continues to stand by this assertion even now.
Lorenzo clinched his third MotoGP championship during the final round in Valencia in 2015. However, this victory was met with criticism from fans of Rossi and a lukewarm reaction from his Yamaha team. Subsequently, the Spanish rider agreed to join Ducati for the 2017 season.
During his appearance at the Festival dello Sport in Italy last week, Lorenzo discussed his last world championship and his competition with Rossi.
"According to Lorenzo, it seemed that everyone had accepted Valentino's account of the events that season."
"The year 2015 was incredibly challenging, with numerous events occurring. It's important to consider that I had not been a solo leader until the final race."
After the Czech Grand Prix that year, Lorenzo had a short-lived moment at the top of the championship standings, sharing the same number of points as Rossi.
Nine-time world champion Rossi led the rankings until the final race in Valencia. However, Lorenzo ended up winning more races than his teammate, with a score of 7 to 4.
He mentions that if it weren't for each other, they both could have achieved more victories during their racing careers.
"However, due to our competition, we increased our speed significantly."
"At present, I hold him in the highest regard."
"His charm has been advantageous for everyone, as it has attracted numerous individuals to engage with international motorcycle racing, thereby enhancing the championship's visibility."
Lorenzo's friendship with Biaggi has no impact on his bond with Rossi. Throughout his career, Rossi experienced intense rivalries with several well-known racers, with Max Biaggi being his first major competitor in the top tier.
As a child, Lorenzo looked up to Biaggi as his idol and later developed a friendship with the Italian. However, he does not think that this affected his relationship with Rossi in any way.
Lorenzo mentioned that Max Biaggi was the person he looked up to the most.
"During our initial meeting, we discussed various topics, one of which was Valentino Rossi."
I promptly informed him that he was my preferred choice. I believe that my friendship with Max did not influence how I interacted with Rossi.
"Undoubtedly, the most crucial aspect was the pace he maintained on the track."
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