MOTOGP: Yamaha promises Lorenzo equal treatment

The departing Jorge Lorenzo will receive the same treatment as Valentino Rossi from Yamaha this year, other than when it starts working on its 2017 MotoGP bike.

Lorenzo will leave Yamaha after nine years at the end of this season, having signed a two-year deal with Ducati, while Rossi will stay on. The pair finished first and second in last year's championship as Lorenzo claimed his third title.

Yamaha's MotoGP managing director Lin Jarvis confirmed that the early announcement of Lorenzo's departure will not change its outlook on the 2016 season, at least until it starts testing with next year's M1.

"For the rest of the season, our mission is the same as his mission," Jarvis said. "There couldn't be a better way to conclude this period of Jorge with us going out as champions. We will give our maximum amounts of equal support to Valentino and continue to provide him with development parts throughout the year.

"Of course if we get to a moment – for instance, maybe like [testing after August's race at] Brno, where we will bring the prototype of the 2017 bike – that's a different story. But any part that we may develop through this year, that may also be used next year of course it will be available to both riders. It's only when it gets to being truly something that we will not use this year, then obviously we will restrict the information on that."

Jarvis conceded that the relationship within Yamaha's garage had changed following Rossi's clash with Marc Marquez at Sepang last October. Rossi had already accused him of working to help countryman Lorenzo win the title, and the saga still lingers over the paddock.

"What happened in Sepang was something very unfortunate," he said. "It definitely influenced strongly the end of the last championship and certainly influenced the mood inside the garage.

"Prior to Sepang, we'd had Jorge and Vale back together for three and a half seasons. Honestly the relationship had been going very well. Of course, they always remained competitors of each other but the team co-existed and we interacted very well and very freely with each other. After Sepang that changed, this is an absolute fact.

"Would I change the way I managed or Yamaha managed the situation? No. We believe the way we managed a very difficult situation was the best we could do under those circumstances."

Originally on Autosport.com