Yamaha teammates Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi have quarrelled in the post-San Marino Grand Prix press conference, with Lorenzo unhappy with Rossi's forceful early-race overtake.
Lorenzo had led the opening lap, but was deposed by Rossi at Turn 14 the second time around, the Italian lunging from far back and placing his bike on the apex of the entry into the hairpin in a classic 'block pass' move.
This forced Lorenzo to check up, the Spaniard having to pick up his bike and run wide as Rossi took over in the lead.
The duo would end up completing the podium behind race winner Dani Pedrosa - and tensions between Lorenzo and Rossi flared up in the post-race press conference when the move was brought up.
Explaining the move, Rossi said: "Here, overtaking in Misano, always a bit difficult.
"I wanted to try from the beginning, because I wanted to try to modify something - in Mugello, I was behind Lorenzo and I was unlucky, a broken engine, so this time I tried to stay in front."
In response, Lorenzo offered a very critical assessment of the Italian's move.
"Well, if you ask this question, it's because maybe the move is aggressive," Lorenzo said. "If not, you don't have this question.
"You can have different opinions. My opinion was that the overtaking was maybe too aggressive.
"He didn't need to make this overtaking - but you know, it's his style, other riders overtake more clean."
Heated exchange
The latter sentence forced a laugh from Rossi, much to his teammate's chagrin, and the press conference devolved into a dialogue from that point onwards - with the two rivals talking over each other.
Rossi: It's not true. Try to look, another time, at the overtake.
Lorenzo: If I don't put straight the bike, we crash together. Maybe you don't crash, but I crash.
Rossi: What are you saying? It is not true. I don't know what I have to [say] with you, what I have to say with Marquez in Silverstone, when he overtake 10 times like this.
Lorenzo: Well, it's your opinion. This is my opinion, respect my opinion.
Rossi: Why are you saying like this, it's not true. Also you overtake always aggressive.
Lorenzo: When?
Rossi: At this moment I don't remember, but if you check the race, if you check the tape, 100 times to me-
Lorenzo: Well, don't laugh, respect my opinion, race direction will have another opinion.
Rossi: Why don't you check the images?
Lorenzo: I haven't checked the images, I will see. But for me, if I don't put the bike straight, I crash.
Rossi: I don't agree.
Turning back to the media, Lorenzo, who leaves Yamaha for Ducati at the end of the year, concluded: "For me, he didn't need to do this overtaking. He was better today, he would've passed me anyway sooner or later.
"But he didn't need to be so aggressive on me, I think. But of course, he will have a different opinion."
Lorenzo sparks new war of words with Rossi
