Valentino Rossi knows the Yamaha Fight Club. He has been here before: Locked in a desperate battle for the MotoGP World championship against his nemesis Jorge Lorenzo.
The last time Rossi and Lorenzo went head-to-head for the world title on Yamaha M1s was in 2010, and Lorenzo was the winner.
Lorenzo not only ended Rossi's string of world titles, with wins in 2008 and '09, but he did something even more telling.
With his youthful speed and bravado, Lorenzo won over Yamaha management, who astutely refused Rossi's request to dismiss the precocious young Spaniard if they wanted him to stay for 2011.
Lorenzo was resigned while Rossi walked out and into the nightmare that became his winless years at Ducati.
Then Lorenzo won his second world title with Yamaha in 2012. Now, he is the one rider, on an identical M1, who can dismantle Rossi's dream of an eighth MotoGP crown.
“If I'm able to stay at his level of speed and especially go fast from the first lap to last lap like Jorge is able to do, I think we can fight to the end,” Rossi said.
“And if I'm able to stay with him on track, in the battle everything can happen and it is important to have experience, be strong and focused.
"But the first thing is to try to be as fast as Jorge.”
Therein lies Rossi's dilemma as motorcycling's heavyweight title fight focuses on the winner-take-all battle of the Yamaha giants Rossi and Lorenzo.
There are six of 18 rounds to go from this Sunday's San Marino Grand Prix - in the shadow of Rossi's Tavulia home - with Rossi leading by just 12 points.
A stunning rain dance delivered Rossi a crucial win at Silverstone last race, but he fears Lorenzo's pace in dry conditions.
“The Silverstone victory was so important because sincerely in the dry I think it was difficult to arrive in front of Jorge," said Rossi.
The last time Rossi won the championship was in 2009 when he beat Lorenzo, then the new boy in the Yamaha team.
It was no surprise that superstar Rossi won that year, it was master against apprentice. But Rossi's dominance has since been eroded by Lorenzo and Honda starlet Marc Marquez and the now retired Casey Stoner.
“For sure it (the 2015 championship) would be the harder one to win (of his titles),” Rossi said.
“Because to try to beat or fight against Marc and Jorge, in this moment of their careers where they are at 100 percent, is the most difficult for sure.
“In 2009 I was able to beat Jorge, but I had more experience than him. Now it is more difficult."
Rossi won at Misano last year, beating Lorenzo by 1.5 seconds in a Yamaha one-two. But Lorenzo won at Misano for three years between 2011 and 2013, meaning that Yamaha's sweet handling M1 has won this race four times in a row. The last Honda win at Misano was in 2010 by Dani Pedrosa.
Out of 12 races so far this season, Lorenzo has won five to Rossi's four with Marquez, who has been out of the title chase since June, winning three.
