It’s no news that Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo don’t really get along but to hear Lorenzo openly acknowledge this, saying that relations between them are ‘not good’ is probably just part of the PR fallout we’ll see if/when Rossi moves to Ducati. The acknowledgement in so many words comes from a quick chat that Lorenzo had with the Autoblog.com crew at this weekend’s Laguna Seca MotoGP, and to proves to us many of the underlying feelings that surround the Spanish rider which we first looked at in our end of Rossi era post.

So where to from here? We imagine that Lorenzo will be quite relieved when Rossi moves to Ducati, and although he’ll still have the world champion as a rival on track, at least that rivalry won’t be extended to his own box (with in-team competition separated by a wall). Lorenzo also confirmed that Ben Spies is the most likely replacement for Valentino in the Fiat Yamaha squad, which itself will probably have a different sponsor starting from next year if Rossi goes.

During the said PR fallout, Lorenzo should be able to prove his real character and we’re hoping to see elegance and grace in accepting a new teammate and hopefully not continuing the arrogance towards a teammate we have sometimes seen from Rossi. Most sports stars have delicate egos but just how well they mask that or manage it is often a mark of their superiority. Apart from winning this year’s championship, Lorenzo will be required to step up to the plate and become Yamaha’s new benchmark.

The team will also have to capitalise on the talent of its new rider Ben Spies, which should prove an easier task if favourite Rossi is no longer on the scene. We’re all eyes and ears and can’t wait to see how Lorenzo conducts himself, how competitive Ben Spies will be and just what next season will bring. And that’s not mentioning what Rossi’s achievements, beyond PR world domination, will be in red over at Ducati.

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