Valentino Rossi vs Jorge Lorenzo
The Doctor and his Yamaha teammate: a rivalry that defined an era.
Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo were teammates at Yamaha from 2008 to 2010. Rossi won his seventh premier-class world title in 2009. Lorenzo secured his first MotoGP championship in 2010 while still teammates with Rossi at Yamaha.
Quick Facts
- Primary era
- 2008-2013
- Main team affiliation
- Yamaha Factory Racing
- Nationalities
- Italian vs Spanish
- Premier class titles
- Rossi: 7, Lorenzo: 3
- Current status
- Both Retired
Lore & Background
Rossi's best chance of winning a tenth title came in 2015, where he led the standings for most of the season but finished five points behind team-mate Jorge Lorenzo, the eventual champion.
Reader's Guide
Rossi won MotoGP World Championships with Yamaha in 2004, 2005, 2008, and 2009. After a 2010 season marred by a broken leg and no title defense, he left Yamaha to join the Ducati factory team. Having returned to Yamaha in 2013, Rossi took three successive runner-up positions in 2014, 2015, and 2016.
Did You Know?
- Rossi holds the record for most premier class victories and podiums, with 89 victories and 199 podiums.
- Rossi is the only road racer to have competed in 400 or more Grands Prix.
- Rossi's #46 bike number was retired at the 2022 Italian Grand Prix.
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