When 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Valentino Rossi swapped Honda for Yamaha, h🍰e was leaving behind a bike that powered him to three consecutive championships for a team on a 12-year barren run.

It was a colossal risk but one that redefined MotoGP history. Honda dug their heels in, not allowing Rossi to test his new Yamaha bike until the latest po🍌ssible opportunity before the 2004 season.

It didn’t matter. Rossi became t🉐he first r🦩ider since Eddie Lawson in the premier class to win consecutive championships on different bikes.

Yamaha teammate 'didn't expect' Valentino Rossi to win

Carlos Checa was his first teammate at Yamaha. It is a largely forgotten partnership, such is the length ﷺof Rossi’s tenure and the volatility he shared with other te🔜ammates, notably Jorge Lorenzo.

Checa, who came seventh in 2004 as his new teammate stormed to the title, admits he was stunned that Rossi took a Yamaha bike from obscurity to glory.

“We didn’t believe Valentino was capab💦le of winning with Yamaha, and he did,” Checa🌄 once told DAZN.

“ﷺFor me it was also a lesson because I tܫhink we fell asleep for a bit when we found limits on the bike.

“Valentino arrived with energy at his bes♋t ꦗmoment.”

Rossi is now synonymous with his time at Y𒉰amaha. The size of the risk he too🧔k, leaving Honda, is now perhaps overlooked.

Checa said: “I believe it was revenge for him: ‘🔜Do you think I win because I have a Honda?’

“Yamaha had also worked a lot. He started a drastic ch🐽ange.”

Checa is now proud of t♑he small role he held in Rossi’s long list of successes. As his teammate in the same garage for one year, Checa helped develop the bike that Rossi took to new heights.

“We worked a lot with the bike, I think we did an incredib𓆉le job with Yamaha, but the satisfaction is that the following year they made a new bike and had to ret♊urn to the old one, which is the one that we left,” he said.

Roꦡss🌄i demanded a wall separated the Yamaha garage when Lorenzo was his teammate, but there were no such issues with Checa.

“He was very transparent, just like we see him,” the S෴pa𝄹niard recalls. 

“Very competitive. He had enormous s𒁏kills and, above all, a mental management ability.

“He was a different guy who wanted to learn.

“I have an exceptional relationship with him. It was a great opportunity to share the garage, the ex꧒perienꦫces, the moments and the work with one of the best riders that has ever existed.”