MotoGP: Valentino Rossi, “In 1994 at Mugello with the Zip 50! The M1? he's like a son"

Moto GP Mugello – Valentino Rossi was interviewed at Mugello by Guido Meda, a historic commentator who moved from Mediaset to Sky this year. The Yamaha champion spoke not only about his sporting side, but also about his human side, going back to 1994, when he arrived at Mugello with the Zip 50! Here's what he said.

“The last year I didn't race, in 1994, we left Misano on scooters at 4 in the morning. We arrived at Mugello on Saturday morning at 8, after having done the Muraglione with my Zip 50! Riding a motorbike on the street? Of course I'm going, with my Rossi Replica helmet. One might think he is a motorcyclist with a Valentino helmet. In the past they also tried to challenge me. And at the traffic lights, when they recognized me…(laughs, ed.).

Cross, Motard, Dirt track... They are a bit of a fad but each of these specialties helps to ride a MotoGP. The truth is that since you train a lot in the gym, the day you can ride any bike is fine!
In the past I was paranoid about choosing socks. So I decided to make the socks all the same. But in reality even the socks are not all the same. There is always some small difference. With my two M1s, however, this is not the case: they are more the same than socks!

The M1 is like when you are always with your child and it seems like he never grows up. But if someone comes along and sees him once a year, he immediately tells you that he has grown up. The attentive eye – or one who knows it well – understands that it is evolving.
If I win or have a good race, when I get home we all watch it together. Stay in the environment even after you stop running? Surely not being a pilot anymore will be much less fun. But - rather than staying in the environment - I have already started working for young drivers, which is the best thing.

The riders of the VR46 Riders Academy? I have a lot of fun with them, I am first of all their fan and I know that I can teach them a lot of things. It's very important for me to train with them, because they are strong. It helps me a lot too."

About Jorge Lorenzo – “Surprised to find Lorenzo so effective in the last two races? I was more surprised to see him not so competitive in the first races. But now a great Lorenzo is back: very strong, more effective. My results from the first races helped him believe in it more. And so now he is a very strong Lorenzo, who will be difficult to beat. Our bike is more effective in the race than in qualifying. Jorge didn't have many pole positions either. But now, to win you would have to start in the top five."