Yamaha more united without Valentino Rossi

Yamaha will attempt to win a fourth successive MotoGP crown in 2011 as a much more united force, according to new factory rider Ben Spies.

Following the departure of talisman Valentino Rossi to Ducati, there is a much less tension inside Yamaha’s factory garage, with Texan Spies teaming up with current world champion Jorge Lorenzo.

Rossi and Lorenzo became bitter rivals after the Spaniard joined the team in 2008, though the fierce internal competition helped propel Yamaha to the most successful period in its history.

The Japanese factory hasn’t lost the title since 2007, but former World Superbike champion Spies says there is much more open dialogue between himself and Lorenzo as they try and develop the new YZR-M1 machine.

Spies said: “I think the team is definitely going to be a bit different from last year and there will be a lot more teamwork with the development and that’s important. I’ve said that to Lorenzo and I’m pretty sure he’s open to that. On track he is the first person you want to beat but if we can make the bike better together it will make being at the front that much easier. We need to find the balance of working together to make the bike better and racing each other hard. When it comes to race time I won’t race him any different to last year and I’m sure he thinks the same.”
Lorenzo’s team boss Wilco Zeelenberg said there would now be a more harmonious relationship between his rider and Spies.

The Dutchman told MCN: “The battle between Jorge and Valentino was really big. They had a lot of respect for each other but they wanted to beat each other in every aspect, not only on the track. That’s the difference now. There was never a problem between Jorge’s crew and Valentino’s crew. But now Miyo (Massimo Meregalli – Spies’ team manager) and I, we are more Yamaha and we are not Jorge or Ben. If Jorge doesn’t win then I would like to see Ben winning.”