Jorge Lorenzo gave an interview to the Spanish site Trademarks in which he talks about his new life at Ducati and returns, in particular, to his separation with Yamaha. Words which once again highlight, according to him, the difficulty of being Valentino Rossi's teammate...
Here are some excerpts.
Were you hurt that someone (Massimo Meregalli, Team Director Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) said that since you left there was a better atmosphere in the Yamaha box?
“I think it wasn't a very happy statement from the person who said it, that it came much more from Rossi's side. For one reason or another, I understood that he was more on Rossi's side, so I tried not to have him come into our box too much because the first rival you have is your teammate. So this statement is influenced by the fact that I tried to have this person not be in our box much. But that decision led to this statement, even though I was no longer at Yamaha.”
What was the reality of these tests?
“It depends on the circuit. We suffered a lot at Phillip Island. The 2016 and 2017 Ducati suffered a lot because even Barberá and Baz rode slower than with the 2014, which is a bit strange since normally the new bikes work much better. The ban on fins played a big role, because they were very sophisticated, but it's also because of the type of curves at Phillip Island, very long, where you spend a lot of time leaning. In 'L' bends, it's less noticeable. We are working on this. I think at some tracks we can do very well, try to win more races than last year, than the two they got. But to make a versatile bike on every track, and maybe aspire to win the championship, we don't know how it's going to happen; we have to finish a lot of races, or the opponents falter a lot, which you never know. But for now, we need to work in some specific areas, and we have a lot of work to do.”
During these months at Ducati, you said you noticed that you received a lot of support. What value does this have?
“Obviously if they appreciate you and let you know it, if they love you and care for you, you are better. This is obvious. But also, we must understand the why of this. Ducati is a brand that wants to win. She signed with me for this reason. They are very motivated. I'm the new thing, they want to treat me as best as possible. But the important thing is that this affection is maintained in the long term despite the results, if bad results follow one another, that they continue to believe in their pilot and to pay attention to him. It's like a relationship with a girl. At the beginning, everything is very nice, everyone takes care of each other, we put up with all the faults and all the bad things, but, afterward, the routine, the time, it means that we don't put up with so many things of this person and that we are lazier when it comes to details. This may decrease a little.
Yamaha had a rider who is an icon of motorcycling and who needed to be looked after because he sold them a lot of motorcycles and was very media-driven. Then it happened that the two drivers were fighting for the championship and it was not easy to manage this situation. I understand that they had to take care of their diamond, in the sense of selling the motorcycles. Whether we like it or not, despite the results, and he can go a few years without winning the title, he remains very strong in the media and he continues to make them sell a lot more motorcycles. This is why it is difficult to be treated equally, in terms of support, in extreme, confrontational situations and to have the bad role of fighting for a title, with two teammates. That’s why, in that sense, I always said I understood it.
But more than support, what made me take the leap to move to Ducati was motivation. Being one of the rare riders who managed to be champions with two different bikes, being the only one with Stoner to win with a Ducati. And feel alive, try a different type of motorcycle, be with different people, an environment, colors. Many years with the same people, the same bike, the same atmosphere and that, like it or not, is slowly dying out a little. Even if you are very professional and very motivated, and very lucky to be a MotoGP rider, whether you like it or not, the routine slowly extinguishes that inner fire that the athlete needs to give his best.”
Would winning with Ducati be the pinnacle of your career?
“It would be very big. For everyone, for Ducati and also for me. It would be very difficult. But I like difficult things and I've done difficult things throughout my career. I want to do one of the really difficult, important, worthwhile things in my career before I leave, which I hope will be as late as possible.”
