March 24, 2023
The words of Valentino Rossi
“There was a moment in which the possibility of going to Formula 1 was really real. It happened in 2004, after the victory with Yamaha, Stefano Domenicali called me to let me try the Ferrari. I went to Fiorano and managed to stay under the minute which, at that time, was a great time. I tested the car again at Mugello, then did a real test in Valencia. At that point I had to choose, because I received the concrete offer to race with Ferrari’s B team, or rather Minardi and, if I had good results, then switch to Ferrari. This happened at the end of 2006 and I wasn’t ready to leave the bikes yet, I felt I could win again and so I decided to decline the offer. Who knows how it would have gone if I had chosen to continue with Formula 1”. Thus Valentino Rossi, MotoGP champion to the microphones of “Passa dal BSMT”, the podcast by Gianluca Gazzoli broadcast twice a week – Monday and Thursday -, where the various guests talk about current topics offering ideas, curiosities and moments of reflection .
Rossi goes on to talk about his new adventure as a racing driver: “I gave everything on the bike, trying to race to the end. Starting over was quite challenging. I am a rider in my DNA, so much so that after 25 years of riding motorcycles I decided to switch to cars. But I also carry on this new role with great passion”. Regarding his retirement from the MotoGP, Valentino Rossi affirms: “It was hard to close with the bikes but then everything went well. The birth of my daughter contributed, the decision to quit coincided with knowing that I would become a father”.
A reminder for Simoncelli is inevitable: “The first approach, more direct, took place when Sic was in a moment of difficulty because he was unable to go fast and asked me to train with my Academy. It was 2008 and we both won, me in MotoGP and him in 250. What happened to him obviously devastated me, without knowing what to do for a few months. But he never influenced me on a sporting level, I never thought of quitting after the tragedy. I definitely missed him as a friend and as a person, because we were together almost every day ”.
Valentino also talks about the rivalries he has experienced in his many years of career: “The strongest rivalries have been with Lorenzo, Stoner and Biaggi. But they were all in the name of respect. Instead, what Marquez lacked. In that case, after the rivalry on the track, there were unsportsmanlike attitudes on his part, like when he decided to let another rider win, not even his teammate, just to make me lose the world championship. For him I was the myth to be destroyed but an attitude of this type has never been seen. It was a bad moment, because he didn’t give me the chance to try and win my tenth title, given that he was determined by an external factor that didn’t depend on my performances”. Rossi continues: “This behavior by Marquez could have been managed better by him and by the organizers. I spoke to both Marquez and the MotoGP representatives, pointing this out, but I wasn’t listened to in the slightest”.
Valentino Rossi has no doubts about the most beautiful victory: “2004 with Yamaha was the most beautiful victory, obtained against everything and everyone”.
Finally, regarding the future, Rossi says: “I want to raise the level of my racing, participating in high-profile events, such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which I should compete in next year”.
