De Luigi Ciamburro / Corsedimoto.com
The wall between Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo in 2008 made history. Years later, Lin Jarvis recognized the usefulness of this historic rivalry.
The famous “wall” erected in the Yamaha garage in 2008 between Valentino Rossi et Jorge Lorenzo made history. He had been requested by the Doctor himself to trigger a psychological war which did not bear fruit. Years later, Tavullia's pilot regretted this choice, but not all the bad was negative. After all, this was the golden age of the House of Iwata, which alternated between world titles and the Triple Crown with its two champions. “ I wouldn't do it again because there's no point, and the data would still pass through. But it was my mistake. »
Valentino Rossi had not been happy with Yamaha's decision to put a rider as strong as Jorge Lorenzo at their side. “But they did well, it was right that such an important factory team had two riders who could win. In 2010, the year of the conquest of the Mallorcan, its chief technician, Ramón Forcada, had underlined the sterility of the wall: “ He was looking for a psychological battle with this story as with other things... It was a psychological war that he did not win. » There was certainly no lack of sparks in the years that followed between the Doctor and the Spaniard, so much so that at the end of 2016, Jorge decided to change scenery to try a new adventure at Ducati.
JARVIS AND THE WINNING WALL
Pages of stories on the razor's edge that Lin Jarvis had to manage with wisdom and skill, keeping the needle of the scale in the middle. However, this rivalry has brought golden fruits to Yamaha. “ In the past we had this famous rivalry between Lorenzo and Valentino” explains the General Manager. “ The famous wall, which may have been misunderstood by many people, was mainly erected because we had Michelin tires on one side and Bridgestone on the other. And part of the rules said the data couldn't be shared. »
A still “very conciliatory” explanation from Jarvis, always adept at being judge and peacemaker inside the box. “ It's difficult to deal with when you have the two best drivers on the team, but we did it and, for three years in a row, we won the Triple Crown. When you have competitive drivers, the team progresses: they push each other and you just have to hope that they are not self-destructive »
After a while, Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo could collaborate again if the Mallorcan is confirmed to become a Yamaha test rider. A strategy that has the approval of the native pilot from Urbino, demonstrating that the angles are now rounded between the two.
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