Jorge Lorenzo: “Valentino Rossi was kind to the cameras - I could not and did not want to do that”
Teammates and rivals Lorenzo and Rossi battled on and off-track, infamously creating a wall down the centre of the♍ir garage to prevent secrets leaking to the other side.
Their differing personalities defined their era of MotoGP - Rossi was characterised as affable and lovable, Lorenzo as a🌃lo❀of and cold.
"For better or for worse Iꩵ always said what I thought", Lorenzo said.
"I was authentic because I had to go out and compete. Rossi knew how to be kind to the cameras before going out, while for me it was something I couldn't and didnౠ't 🐽want to do.
"There are different types of riders - those who are nicer and get along well with everyone and th🎉ose who are more with the team.
“I didn't get alo❀ng very well because I was always working."
Lorenzo ended his career with three premier class championships, compared to Rossi’s seven. T✨hey each won two world championships with the other as their teammate.
Lorenzo s♊aid about retiring from MotoGP: "What I miss most is winning.
“I believe that one is born competitive because of genetics or that directly he does not like to compete. I'm very competitive, at school 🐠I invented games with my friends to beat them.”
He hated defeat even as a child, he explained: "You have no other choice, I had to learn when I was 10 years old. Out of 7 races I won 6, but when I didn't win and finished third I dꦦidn't even want to get on the podium."
But Lorenzo reveals how age can inhibit a rider: "At 20 in the wet I won, but at 30 my head🧔 stopped my wrist and did not let me give gas because I saw the danger.”
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a deca꧃de covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
