Valentino Rossi has make clear the fall-out which led to his Honda exit.
Rossi was already a five-time world champion when he bizarrely walked away from Honda on the finish of 2003, to hitch the unfancied Yamaha.
The remaining is historical past – however Rossi has described his bitter feeling with Honda which led to his departure.
“Once I signed the second contract with Honda, in 2002, I used to be already ‘Valentino Rossi’,” he informed Andrea Migno’s podcast.
“My supervisor pushed, we requested for some huge cash. Honda arm-wrestled us.
“Honda mentioned ‘okay’ then [waited, waited, waited]…
“In January they known as and mentioned ‘we offers you this cash, it’s the tip of January, what the f*** else are you going to do?’
“They screwed us economically. I ought to have earned extra.”
Honda was like Ducati now
Valentino Rossi
“The Honda then was just like the Ducati now,” Rossi mentioned.
“The primary bikes had been all Hondas.
“Let’s say now that Pecco Bagnaia decides to go to Yamaha – it will be insanity!
“However Honda weren’t very good. It was ‘Valentino Rossi solely received due to the Honda’.
“In each interview, they mentioned ‘the primary 5 bikes are all Hondas, so if Rossi is there? Then okay…’
“Honda are robust and powerful. We determined to go to Yamaha…”
Honda notoriously wouldn’t let Rossi take a look at his new Yamaha on the 2003 postseason take a look at.
It meant Rossi couldn’t strive his new bundle till early-2004, giving him a serious drawback heading into the season.
However he sensationally received the primary race in South Africa, which he nonetheless regards his biggest second, earlier than capturing a sixth world championship that yr.
