Alessio "Uccio" Salucci, the invisible pillar behind the success of Valentino Rossi and the VR46 Racing Team, embodies the pure spirit of MotoGP: loyalty, passion, and respect. In an exclusive interview, the Ducati satellite team principal reflects on his career, his philosophy, and the current challenges in the paddock, in the light of the latest event to shake up the industry: the continuation of the contract signed between Aprilia and Jorge Martin.
Alessio “Uccio” Salucci, charismatic director of the VR46 Racing Team, is one of the most respected and recognizable figures in the MotoGP paddock. Childhood friend and right-hand man of Valentino Rossi, he embodies an unwavering passion for racing and a rare loyalty in a constantly evolving sport. At 46, Salucci has spent half his life in the world of motorcycles, and his career is inseparable from that of the “Doctor”.
In a recent interview with Mow, I kill returned to his unique trajectory, his fusional relationship with Valentino Rossi, but also his vision of ethics in modern MotoGP.
Since childhood, I kill share with Valentino Rossi a common obsession: engines. As children, Vale and I were passionate about motorcycles, cars, and motorsports in general. As soon as he started competing and became what he became, I was always by his sideWe have been through happy times together... and more complicated ones."
Among the difficult periods mentioned, that of the passage of Rossi in Ducati between 2011 and 2012, a period marked by mixed results, but also by unwavering loyalty.
Uccio Salucci: “ MotoGP, which must not become F1 »
This loyalty, I kill still defends it today against a MotoGP increasingly influenced by the logic of the Formula 1. In this regard, he mentioned the recent affair between Aprilia et George Martin, and expressed his concern: " I hope MotoGP never becomes like F1, where contracts are broken so easily. We must respect things"
He remembers: “ in 2012, even if it didn't work, Valentino never thought of breaking his contract with DucatiHe arrived, he gave it his all. That's how it's supposed to be done, in my opinion. If you sign for two years, you put your head down, you shut up and you work."
Today at the head of the VR46 Racing Team, Salucci continues to apply this same ethic. His management of the team is based on the values that have carried him alongside Valentino Rossi : total commitment, respect for the given word and an unwavering passion for competition.
