Marco Bezzecchi
Valentino Rossi entered the 2009 MotoGP season as the reigning champion. He’d comfortably seen off the Ducati of Casey Stoner in ’08.
But in his second year in the premier class, teammate Jorge Lorenzo threatened to steal that crown. Heading into the Catalunya Grand Prix, round five of the season, Lorenzo was ahead in the standings.
Stoner led the way on 90 points, with Lorenzo on 86 and Rossi third on 81. But the Doctor would leave Barcelona as the leader.
He prevailed after what was perhaps the greatest final lap in MotoGP history. Speaking on the Mig Babol podcast recently, Lorenzo reflected on that unforgettable tussle.
Jorge Lorenzo says he tried to ride ‘PlayStation’ lines in Valentino Rossi battle
Rossi crossed the line in the lead, but Lorenzo slipped down the inside into turn one. The #46 rider tried to retake first place at turn four, only for the home hero to hang on around the outside.
When Lorenzo appeared to have the victory in the bag, Rossi dived past at the very last corner and blocked his teammate’s attempted counter. It was a crucial moment on the Italian’s road to a seventh and final premier class title.
Looking back, Lorenzo feels he was too ‘naive’, trying to take the optimal lines as if he were on a ‘PlayStation’. This left a gap for the sister bike.
Lorenzo also credits Rossi for his supreme improvisation, which was most evident at the final turn. His aggressive style was perhaps better suited to wheel-to-wheel racing at that time.
“Both of us were on par throughout the weekend,” said Lorenzo. “He beat me because, in my opinion, he was the best, the strongest of all, at improvising. He was very intelligent, very clever, but he knew how to improvise in overtaking.
“He always braked later than me because he set the fork harder to achieve this style of riding. I set it much softer to brake earlier and instead open up earlier in the corner. In that we were opposites, so that put me at a disadvantage to him on that last lap. I was a little naive and not closing [the door].
“I rode the same line for 25 laps and didn’t want to change. Maybe you enter that line, it’s dirtier, and you crash.
“But I wasn’t smart enough to know that, if he’s on the inside, I have to close the throttle. It’s not like the PlayStation where you can pass him like he’s a ghost. He braked harder and stopped in front of me, which made me lose this race.”
Uccio Salucci explains the similarity between Valentino Rossi and Cristiano Ronaldo
Marc Marquez picked Rossi and Lorenzo on his dream MotoGP grid, along with two other legends. The sport arguably misses their presence.
Marquez is the only bona fide all-time great who’s currently racing. He’s cruising to the world championship, with a 120-point lead at the summer break.
It’s no wonder, then, that some fans look upon the close battles of the Marquez, Rossi and Lorenzo days with a certain nostalgia. New owners Liberty Media would relish those storytelling opportunities.
Close friend Uccio Salucci compared Rossi to Cristiano Ronaldo given their shared intelligence. Both have inspired an extremely rare degree of hero worship.
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