Jorge Lorenzo never got to know Valentino Rossi - MotoGP News
The reigning World Champion, Jorge Lorenzo has spent three years with world champion Valentino Rossi in the same garage, but never got to really know him as they were team-mates at Fiat Yamaha Racing.
During an interview to an Italian newspaper, Lorenzo said, "On the camera he is the nicest guy, but I have no idea how he is away from it. In the three years that we were teammates, I never got to know him."
Now in the running of 2011 MotoGP season, Lorenzo shares the Yamaha Factory Racing garage with a new American rider, Ben Spies. He was brought in from the Yamaha’s satellite team Monster Yamaha Tech3, after Valentino Rossi moved to the Ducati team for 2011.
The 2010 rookie, Ben Spies was promising on the Tech3 M1 in the previous season.
The Spaniard thinks that they both share better chemistry in a professional relationship, as compared to his ex-teammate Rossi. The early season’s point leader, Lorenzo also mentioned that both Yamaha riders are sharing and discussing ideas between them
and sending messages to each other.
Like Lorenzo, Ben is quite capable of racing against mentally tough riders and to provide support to his team-mate. As in the past, Spies being in the Yoshimura Suzuki team in the AMA series he had the opportunity to spend time with Mat Mladin. The young
American rider handled the ‘mind games’ of the veteran rider and after shaking his dominance he overthrew his lead and won three straight championships of the series.
The Italian Ducati rider, Rossi is well known for his enclosed and well guarded private life, which he keeps away from his fans, cameras and track.
Previously the incident which got hot air in the media was an accident between Rossi and Casey Stoner at the second round of the 2011 MotoGP season, Gran Premio bwin de Espana. It happened as Rossi was pushing hard to gain the lead on the top running squad
in the race at Jerez.
The Italian was pushing hard on the wet tarmac, when he slipped on the inside of the Aussie rider and swept him off the track as well. Rossi was trying to over-take the Repsol Honda rider who was leading the grid from pole position in the race.
Casey was doomed in the race by an unseen factor, which cost him a finish without any points at all, just after winning the season opener at Qatar on the Losail circuit.
After the race Rossi went to Stoner’s Repsol garage accompanied by the cameras to register an apology on air and to the fans which started an unpleasant talk between Stoner and the Italian. Stoner was unable to finish the race and left Jerez in an unpleasant
note.
The next race will take place at the Le Mans circuit in France which is scheduled to begin on May 15.
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