The nine-time World Champion speaks to the press and enjoys a special surprise on Thursday.
The end of an era is nigh and ahead of the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana, nine-time World Champion Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) sat down for a farewell Press Conference before he bows out. 26 seasons and one final Thursday sit down later, here are some key quotes!
How is he feeling?
Valentino Rossi: “It’s a particular season especially in the second part after I said it’s my last one. The last race is… I want to try and make it normal but it’s not possible. It’s a great emotion, and already from today to see all the bikes together, all the riders from MotoGP here all together is a great feeling. We’ll see! I’ll try to give the maximum during the weekend, I hope we can have good weather, especially for Sunday, and we’ll see!”
How was it seeing all his title-winning bikes together?
VR46: “I have the bikes at home except the Hondas, I have the Aprilias and Yamahas, the Yamahas are in my house. The 2004 model is in my bedroom. Every morning what I wake up I see the bike, but all together like this is a great emotion. It’s a long long way if you look at the first one it’s a really long time ago. And if you consider that after the last one there was another ten years… it’s a long time and a great emotion.”
Announcing retirement vs actually retiring…
VR46: “From Austria when I said it, I had a lot of great messages and support from all the other riders, now, and from the past. All my rivals, this is very good. It was great. I always imagined this Press Conference, and here in Valencia… a special place and the opposite for me, a not special place at the same time. It’s strange, a strange feeling but I’ll try to act normal because normally Valencia is a good moment for everyone, it means holidays start after a long season, and everyone is ready to stay at home a bit… but you always think that from Monday, it will be different. Another life. I’ve tried to not think a lot in this way, because I’ll also continue to race, with cars as a driver in this case. But I’ll try to enjoy it because for sure life when you’re not a MotoGP rider anymore will change.”
Now it’s time to get back out on track, so all that remains is…. GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
#GrazieVale: the nine machines ridden to Championship glory
Surprise! On Thursday afternoon, the nine machines Rossi rode to title-winning glory had a very special appointment with the ‘Doctor’.
The nine-time Champion sat on each one and reminisced a little as they all come together for the first time ever… although one already resides in his bedroom, so some were a little fresher in the memory than others.
The Yamahas, Hondas and Aprilias were also accompanied by Yamaha Motor Racing Managing Director Lin Jarvis, Repsol Honda Team Principal Alberto Puig and Massimo Rivola, Aprilia Racing CEO, at the surprise, with plenty of other familiar faces from the paddock on hand too.
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