Summary of the facts: Jorge Lorenzo made it known everywhere that he wanted to renew his contract with Yamaha before the Qatar Grand Prix, and, ultimately, it was Valentino Rossi who did it.
Paul Gozzi, always quite well informed, does not hesitate to put forward a numerical explanation in black and white.
We therefore make the following summary.
- Valentino Rossi agreed to renew his contract until 2018 for a supposed annual salary of around six million, a supposed increase of around one million from the previous deal.
- Jorge Lorenzo would have received an offer of eight million euros, the best contract that has ever been offered to him.
– The Majorcan rider would use a supposed offer from Ducati (Audi, Marlboro), true or false, to ask for a salary of ten million from Yamaha.
Paolo Gozzi also reports the following remarks attributed to Lynn Jarvis: “Our proposal has a deadline, it’s not tomorrow, but not very far. We have a plan B and a plan C.”
But, obviously, a plan B and a plan C who have probably never won a Grand Prix and, in any case, are neither triple world champion, nor undoubtedly the fastest driver of the moment...
Note: in general, contracts between pilots and Japanese factories are not transacted in euros, but in dollars.
