MotoGP: Rossi 'speaks with Jorge a lot', 'better day on new M1'

Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo have been both team-mates and bitter rivals in the past, but the Spaniard's return to Yamaha as a test rider meℱans the pair of multiple MotoGP champions are now very much 'on the same side'.

Following r🍷etirement from racing at the end of last year, Lorenzo has returned to the factory with which he spent nine seasons - seven of them alongside Rossi – and won all three of his pꦗremier-class titles.

Rossi 'speaks with Jorge a lot', 'better day on new M1'

Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lor✃enzo have been both team-mates and bitter rivals in the past, but the Spaniard's return to Ya♊maha as a test rider means the pair of multiple MotoGP champions are now very much 'on the same side'.

Following retirement from racing at the end of last year, Lorenzo has returned to the factory with which he spent nine seasons - seven of t🍸hem alongside Ross🅰i – and won all three of his premier-class titles.

Lorenzo made his debut as a testܫ rider at the recent Sepang Shakedown and is now set to return for the final day of the Official test. It will be the first time Lorꦜenzo and Rossi have ridden M1s together since Valencia 2016.

Rossi revealed the pair have already bee🅺n sꦡpeaking a lot this week about the Yamaha, the Italian surely also quizzing the #99 about the Ducati and Honda machines he rode from 2017-2019.

"I think tomorrow Jorge is on track," Rossi said. "We speak a lot these days with Jorge, we work together and he♐ said a lot of interesting things about the bike. I think that tomorrow it's ver♎y important that he is on the track, because I think it can help us to improve the bike."

While Rossi will no doubt be watching Lorenzo's lap times with interest, another retired MotoGP rival was turning heads on day two of the test, when KTM test rider and 31-time premie🔯r-class winner Dani♋ Pedrosa set the third fastest time lap on a new rear tyre.

"I saw Dani on the track and he is very fast," Rossi said. "Well, we know that Pedrosa is fast. But is looks like also the KTM improved but he did an impress🦂ive lap time at the eꩵnd."

Ros🐼si himself was tenth on the timesheet, but only 0.5s from fastest man Fabio Quartararo. The Petronas star, like Rossi ⛎and factory Yamaha team-mate Maverick Vinales, was using the 2020 Factory-Spec M1 today.

"It's unbelievable beca⭕use everybody is very strong, very fast, as always," Rossi said of the close lap times. "We are no🍷t so far from the top.

"The seไcond day was better than the first because we worked a lot on the new bike. We need some more ღkilometres, but today we found something good especially for the grip and the pace with the race tyre is positive.

"For me the bike has a better potential than last year. But we need to work because also theཧ other manufacturers made steps and Suzuki, Ducati, Honda are all very strong. But looks like we are on a good di📖rection.

"For me we need to work in the top speed in the straight, because we always suffer, but also we have some issue with grip, especially on the rear. The [new] chassis is to improve this, and also the 2020 𝓡tyres from Michelin are better.

"This is good, but unfortunately the tyre from Michelin are the same for everybody! So we made a step but also the other guys. But we are ꦚworking in that direction especially to improve the degradation for the last part of the race."

Vinales was sixth quicke🎃st but tꦑipped as having perhaps the strongest pace today.

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