Google News Max Biaggi on the conflict with Valentino Rossi in 1997: We were two idiots
by SEAD DEDOVIC | VIEW 433
Max Biaggi and Valentino Rossi's conflict from 1997 remained in the memory of many sincere Moto GP fans. Namely, while Rossi was giving an interview, Biaggi told him at one point: "When you talk about me, first rinse your mouth!” Now after 27 years, it seems that there is no 'bad blood' between the two.
Biaggi finds such things funny, but he also revealed why he had such a reaction: "That time I had answered because he had said 'better one day at Rossi's than a hundred at Biaggi’s' In short, an action corresponds to a reaction.
From then on it was [an argument] especially for you journalists, although I admit that we helped you a bit! But now I think we were two idiots who waged war against each other through the press instead of clarifying in person how we should have done”.
- Biaggi said, as quoted by crash.net
Biaggi on leaving Honda for Yamaha
Many believe that things would have been different if he had not left the Honda team and gone to Yamaha. He revealed the whole situation that was happening in those moments.
However, Biaggi does not regret anything and is happy about his great career. "I didn't fight. Simply the then-head of HRC, Koji Shinozaki, had promised me that the following year, 1999, I would have a factory bike. Then he told me that I had misunderstood, that I had misinterpreted his words.
In short, he took [betrayed me]. That night at Suzuka we had the 'big-bang' engine with regular bursts, while there was also the so-called 'streamer' which was more competitive and also had a better engine brake. Later he told me that mine was better and so on.
In short, it does not exist: so that time I valued the man over the pure rider. In my opinion it is not enough to be able to go to 300km/h or bend to 250, in life if you are a man, you are a man. I'm happy with that choice, I would do it again.
If you look at what I did and how I lived 25 years of a dream. And even now I'm physically well. I run, I ride, I ride, I ride a racing bike every now and then."
