Valentino Rossi has let himself go into confidence since he opted for an active retirement from MotoGP while the deadline for fatherhood approaches. Life perspectives which have, however, been thought through. Thus, the Doctor reveals that this retirement has been on his mind since 2019, but that the vagaries of current events, notably with the health crisis, have blurred the deadlines, which were nevertheless validated as inevitable.
Valentino Rossi said a lot in this interview with Graham Besinger, the famous American journalist, an exchange that went well beyond questions about career and competition. We know that there was a passage on the tax adventure which cost Vale a lot, both literally and figuratively. But we also discover that the last two seasons made by the Doctor in MotoGP were with the idea of retirement in mind… “ I was always worried about the end of my career, I didn't want to stop he said before having this revelation: “ During Covid I spent two months without riding a motorbike, it was one of the first times I realized I could survive even without ».
This health crisis will therefore have decidedly changed many destinies in many cases… But the idea of turning the page had started to germinate before: “ I had started thinking about retiring in 2019, it was the first season in which I had problems with results. After Austin something happened, I did not return to Europe quickly. Then there was 2020, a strange year, I thought I was going to finish there, but everyone pushed me not to give up and I ran in 2021 too ».
Valentino Rossi: “ I have 2 or 3 months to understand that it's really over«
But now it’s done, and we need to review our way of approaching things in life: “ Since I was 4 or 5 years old, I have always been racing on a motorcycle. You have to completely change your life, I always knew that at some point it would end but it's hard to be ready » he elaborates. “ I have seen many other champions who stop at the peak of their career, but no, I wanted to continue because I was having fun and without regrets. During the last few races, I understood what I had built in my career. Ten days later, Valencia was difficult, I was a little sad, but I made the right decision. Now I have 2 or 3 months to understand that it's really over ».
And forgetting can be helped with this new status of father which always turns life upside down. A girl is coming, but to listen to Vale, she will be the eldest in the family… “ We would also like to have a boy » said Francesca his companion, attracting this response from Rossi: “ yes, but not more than two ».
