On December 31st, 2024, Lin Jarvis stepped down as Managing Director of Yamaha Motor Racing, the organization that runs Yamaha's MotoGP project. In the 26 years that Jarvis has been in charge, Yamaha have known incredible success. Eight rider titles, with Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo, and Fabio Quartararo, as well as six manufacturer and seven team titles. Under Jarvis, Yamaha won the triple crown five times, in 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2015.
You can read the first and second parts of my marathon interview with Jarvis here (part 1) and here (part 2). In the final part, he talks about Valentino Rossi's return to Yamaha after leaving for Ducati in 2011 and 2012. He explains the delicate balancing act that required, which the fallout of the 2015 season nearly upended. And he talks about the riders who came after, including Maverick Viñales and Fabio Quartararo, and the process of identifying talent.
Jarvis also talks about how Nicky Hayden got away from Yamaha, and the project he launched to turn Yamaha's failing fortunes around.
The Prodigal Son Returns
Q: Valentino came back in ’13. Obviously, he understood that this wasn’t a project that he was going to have any success with and he wanted success again. Was it easy to manage his return? Because now you’ve got a reigning champion who knows exactly what it’s like to have that person as a teammate. Or was it easier to tell Jorge, “By the way, Valentino is coming back?”
Lin Jarvis: You do ask difficult questions, David...
Q: I’m so sorry, but that’s my job.
LJ: It was difficult to accept Valentino back because anyway he decided to leave Yamaha, therefore it’s always difficult to accept somebody back. Difficult also for Jorge to accept that he would return into the fold.
Comments
Fantastic series of interviews
Thanks for that, sir. Excellent work.
In reply to Fantastic series of interviews by larryt4114
+1
Excellent series, thanks.
Ben Spies
I'd have really enjoyed some perspective on Ben Spies' time in the team. Was that subject off the table due to how their relationship worked out, or did it just not come up?
In reply to Ben Spies by Dirt
It didn't come up. I had…
It didn't come up. I had nearly an hour with Jarvis, which is exceptional. For context, most interviews are 15 minute slots.
In reply to It didn't come up. I had… by David Emmett
And Spies at Factory Yamaha…
And Spies at Factory Yamaha is a bit of an odd and mysterious unpleasantry. I have looked into it and got a sense of basics of what occurred enough to satisfy my curiousity. Primarily what his crew chief set up for protective control grabbing that was counterproductive and a bit of hubris. Brilliance in SBK for them did not parlay in GP, and they doubled down on it constricting and alienating themselves.
I loved The Ben! (Alt theory is a ghost perhaps sent as a hex by HRC)
;)
v St Steve, the cracked swingarm was just a box of rain, wind and water...believe it if you need it, if you don't just pass it on. Or, a ghost!
In reply to And Spies at Factory Yamaha… by Motoshrink
Yeah, Spies and Yamaha
I agree with your take 'Shrink. Their SBK world-beating team was perhaps over-confident and insular entering motogp. On the other hand I was at the corkscrew when his rear end fell apart. Whose fault? Who knows. Would like to hear a discussion of that from Jarvis.
I’m going to miss LJ…
Fantastic interview David. Really enjoyed hearing LJ’s perspective on various points of his time in MGP. Hopefully he will write a memoir in the future.
I am going to miss seeing LJ with his shades on and his reactions in the garage to different race situations. I started watching MGP in ‘07 so he’s always been the boss at Yamaha to me.
Hope the transition this year goes smoothly for blue.