Lorenzo: “Rossi was nice to the cameras - I 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 their 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 aloof and cold.
"For better or for worse I 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 didn't want to do.
"There are different types of riders - those who are nicer and get along well with everyone and those who are more with the team.
“I didn't get along very well because I was always working."
Lorenzo ended his career with three premier class championships, compared to Rossi’s seven. They each won two world championships with the other as their teammate.
Lorenzo said 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 didn'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 decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
