After 15 joint seasons between 2004-2010 and 2013-2020, Rossi left the Yamaha factory at the end of last season after losing his seat to Fabio Quartararo in 2021.
Yamaha offered Rossi a new contract for the factory team in early 2020 but switched to Quartararo when the Italian insisted on evaluating his performance in the campaign’s opening rounds before deciding to continue his career.
At the time, Ducati was keen to secure Quartararo and Maverick Vinales services beyond 2020.
Rossi will remain a factory-backed rider through 2021, but is making his first return to a satellite team since his first premier-class title winning season in 2001 with Nastro Azzurro’s factory-backed Honda team.
Speaking to Sky Italy, former team-mate Lorenzo admitted that he was “surprised” by Yamaha’s decision to oust Rossi from the factory facility, but doesn’t think the Italian’s situation will change significantly.
“I was surprised by Yamaha’s decision to add Rossi to a satellite team like Petronas [SRT]”I would never have imagined it,” said Lorenzo, who retired from MotoGP at the end of 2019.
“But at the same time I think it won’t change that much for him, he’ll do well.
“We saw the great results from Quartararo and Quartararo [Franco] Morbidelli, the bike is competitive and Yamaha has to act like everyone else in the end: look to the future.
“When I started with them in 2008 they had to find a plan B in case Valentino should leave and they chose a young driver like me.
“The future comes for the youngest. The choice of Quartararo is logical.”
Lorenzo had signed a deal with Yamaha in 2006 before winning the first of his two 250cc crowns – a move initiated by the then Formula 1 racing director and then Yamaha team manager Davide Brivio.
Lorenzo’s plans for 2021 are currently unclear after losing his role as Yamaha test rider to Cal Crutchlow.
The Spaniard had talks with Aprilia to be his test driver in 2021, but that trail has grown quiet since the winter.
Lorenzo did not rule out the possibility of becoming driver manager, however: “I have a lot of ideas for my future that are less stressful than MotoGP races, but exciting nonetheless,” he added.
“One possible path would be to be a television commentator, for example, and I am not ruling out using my experience with a young driver by becoming his manager.”
