The paddock is buzzing with rumors of the composition of the Honda and Ducati satellite teams but there is another subject which is attracting attention. A theme which takes us to 2019 and which concerns the continuation of the career of the monument Valentino Rossi. And that concerns a lot of people in the industry. The interested party of course, the Tech3 pilots too and Dorna who sees in the Doctor the cursor to put for the price of its next TV rights. So, stop or still? Close friends Uccio and Davide Brivio provide a clue…
He is 38 years old, he has been winning since 1996, he has nine titles and he has 115 victories. A busy career. He has nothing more to prove. And yet, when he wins, it's as if it were the first time, minus the skits after the checkered flag. But the enthusiasm is still there. And about his future, the man from Tavullia has already warned: “ When I signed this two-year contract with Yamaha, I admit that I thought it was the last of my career. But ultimately, I wasn't so convinced. I will decide at the start of next season. But if I'm competitive, I'll keep going ».
Fourth in the provisional general classification of this championship, ten points behind leader Marquez, he is still in the running for a tenth crown. In his closest circle, we do not seem convinced of a resounding farewell in 2018. Starting with the essential Alessio “Uccio” Salucci : " if the results are good, why would he stop? He really loves competition ».
For its part, Davide Brivio explain : " no one can explain how he manages to keep this motivation. For more than 20 years, he has been surveying the same circuits, working tirelessly with his engineers on Friday and Saturday to be ready for the race on Sunday. He has a true and genuine passion for motorcycling. And what would be his alternative? Stay at home ? Sitting in front of your television? It would be terrible for him. If he continues to win, he will probably want to do two more years ».
The one who is currently officiating at Suzuki with a number of problems this season concludes: “ during the last 22 seasons, he went from the 125 to the 250 then to the 500 two-stroke, he then experienced the four-stroke, he adapted to the electronics, the tires changed. But he always found the motivation to question himself and change his driving. If you watch him ride five years ago, you'll see a different style than today. It's incredible, just like his motivation ».
