Even I disagree with some of this.
I think Yamaha would have been happy to keep Rossi after Jorge's 2010 championship if he had accepted dual number one status. I think he was miffed about this because he thought perhaps with some justification he had brought Yamaha from nowhere, and insulted by equal money which meant a pay cut for him when he considered he brought most of the sponsorship. He also had an obsession which would seem to continue with matching Ago's records for both premier class championships and total wins, which he thought would be best served by being a sole number 1 rider; I am led to believe the Nastro Azzurro set up he had in his early premier class career is actually his preference. The wall in 2008 was mandated by him and Jorge having tyres supplied by different tyre manufacturers; I don't specifically recall but he may have continued this by his own choice in 2009. I do still wonder as I did at the time whether he also might have told Yamaha at some stage that he was going to retire then changed his mind.
I think Uncle Carmelo may have had a role in the switch to Ducati, he was reputed to be romancing senior Ducati management over games of golf and encouraging them to concentrate on premier class gp racing rather than WSBK, and doubtless thought a coup similar to the Rossi to Yamaha move in 2004 which he reputedly also encouraged and possibly even financially supported was easily achievable.
The problem of course was that the belief that the Ducati was a superior bike being let down by the flaky Stoner who had been mentally broken by Rossi, which somehow had spread from bopperdom to become all pervasive including even at Ducati, was not actually true.
I have less time for Rossi now than I have had at any previous time in his career, but I still think however much Uncle Carmelo may have encouraged Yamaha that Rossi was the best available rider for that seat in 2013, particularly given that an Asparagus brother had previously been touted as the next in line, and that Rossi has contributed more to the development/quality of the bike than any other rider would have done.
You're right as usual Michael [emoji3]
The wall and data sharing ban was introduced with the different tyres and Valentino insisted on it staying like that right up until the time that Jorge started beating him. Once this happened it was reported that VR and JB demanded to see their team mate's data, this was met by Ramon Forcada refusing point blank as he felt it was an act of bigotry, why should he help men who refused to help him?
It was also written in Jorge's biography that he was proud to join Yamaha and eager to befriend Valentino and learn from the master, hopefully forming a super team of the future as Yamaha had sold to him when they courted him for his signature. When he met Valentino in private, he was rude and dismissive of his young team mate, making it very clear he didn't want Jorge as his team mate and was angry at Yamaha for signing him, something Valentino admitted many years later.
Valentino launched his usual mental barrage on Lorenzo, stating he was arrogant and had no real talent, he was simply profiting from the bike that he, Valentino had built. This was of course lapped up by the press and the yellow horde, making Lorenzo a figure of hate and derision just like Casey, Sete and Max. Now it's Marquez's turn to get it from Valentino's followers.
Lorenzo states in his book that he wasn't being arrogant but was simply scared to speak with the press in his younger days as everything he said was twisted into some sort of "war" with Valentino, so he decided not to speak at all if possible, then he was branded arrogant.
It speaks volumes that Lorenzo, having suffered from a young age should publicly welcome Valentino back to Yamaha and refused to knock him when he was down. Is he a really nice guy who forgives, or was he scared of any reprisals that may come?
Valentino has proven that away from the cameras and publicity, he is prepared to be as nasty and vindictive as it takes to try and destabilise the mind of any rider who challenges him on track, it's a mystery to me how so many fans around the world fail to see this, only seeing the fun loving kid who once brought laughter and fun to MotoGP. I hope he mellows when he retires and doesn't carry his sinister nature into management. The sport can do without it...
