Dani Pedrosa🦂 told Jorge Lorenzo that he nearly replaced him at Yamaha ꦇin 2017.

The old rivals were sat inside a boxing ring on S꧒panish television, grilling 🍌each other about their fierce rivalry.

One detail emꦿerged about a forgotten near-miss of 🔯a rider switch six years ago.

"I was very close to ⭕signing with Yamaha in 2017,” Pedrosa was quoted by .

He told Lorenzo: “When you left Yamaha and wen𝄹t to Ducati.

“There was the 𝓀attempt to choose Maverick Vinales or me.

“And since I was y🧔our rival I always wanted to ride your𒊎 bike because of its qualities, I wanted to see myself riding on one.

“That time was the one I was closest to.”

By the end of 2016, L🦹oreဣnzo had won his three MotoGP championships, each time with Yamaha.

After finishi🏅ng third in the standings in 2016, behind champion Marc Marquez𝔍 and Valentino Rossi, Lorenzo left for an ultimately ill-fated move to Ducati.

There appeared to be a vacant Yamaha when theꦏ Japanese manufacturer seemingly failed to recruit Suzuki’s Vinales.

Pedrosa🌠’s near-move from Honda to Yamaha might have changed MotoGP history.

Instead, it wasn’t to be, and Yamaha eventua♊lly brought in Vinales.

Pedrosa remained at Honda for the rest of his career as a full-time rider, retiring as the most successful-ever Moto🐠GP rider without a championship.

He is now instrumental in KTM’s rise as their test rider, and has wowed༒ a new generation in wildcard appearance🌳s.