With the announcement of the agreement between VR46 and Ducati to compete together in MotoGP next year, the Saudi prince, financier of the operation, also said that he will join Valentino on the Aramco-sponsored team along with his brother Luca Marini. want to see. At the moment, however, it seems that the legendary Aladdin lamp is needed for this.
“I have not yet decided whether I will continue next year because I want to think more about it during the summer break – says Rossi – I will also have to talk to Yamaha and Petronas, I would like to get better results and it has not been a fantastic season so far. It will be difficult for me to race in 2022. The prince urges me to do it, but at the moment it is very difficult. “
Did you know about this wish from him?
“We’d already talked about it together, but I didn’t expect him to say it in the official press release. I told him the same thing: It’s very, very difficult that I race, not just with Ducati.
Is your passion still intact?
“You can’t just run for money like it’s just a job. All riders are driven by passion, we understand that when we get on bikes very young and see our future. My passion remains very high, I still have a lot of fun on the bike, but the results are very important. This life is very stressful, you have to train a lot and there is always a lot of pressure that comes from both outside and yourself. Passion is not a problem, but you need to understand if you can get certain results because they are the ones that make all the difference in all sports.
If you’re not there, your team will be in MotoGP …
“We are all very happy and proud of this project, which was born 10 years ago with the Riders Academy and continued with the teams in Moto3 and Moto2. Everyone who works there is excited, we will be with Ducati and we are happy that the bikes, drivers and the team are Italians.
Many observers thought you could make this leap with Yamaha …
“My relationship with Yamaha is very good and I think I had the best moments of my career with them. It would have been nice to have a team with them, but Petronas wanted to continue working with Yamaha, we talked about it and decided it was best for everyone. I’m happy with the deal with Ducati because they have a fast bike and have always supported the Academy. In my heart, however, I will always be a Yamaha rider ”.
Why did you choose Ducati?
“We spoke to different brands. When you do this type of negotiation, there is so much behind it, you have to consider the price, the support and everything. In the end, Yamaha and Ducati stayed, we chose the latter because we have a good relationship with Ciabatti and Dall’Igna, they have a competitive bike and I think we have more things to share with Ducati, especially with young Italians Helping drivers grow up. This was the main reason ”.
But now you’re still a rider and the Assen Grand Prix is this weekend …
“It’s a great place, more or less all drivers love it, it’s the track with the most history and then it has a fantastic design, even if it has been modified it still keeps the taste of the old track. It’s always a pleasure to drive here ”.
From today you are also an honorary citizen of the city …
“It’s an honor because Assen is an important place for all drivers and fans, it’s a magical and famous track. I also have the keys to Laguna Seca, two beautiful places I would say (laughs). For us drivers, Assen means track and paddock, but in the past I happened to go out for dinner and I always enjoyed it. “