The 42-year-old rider will end his 26 seasons in the MotoGP World Championship on November 14 at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit. Still ahead, just over a month and the last three races.
Rossi announced his retirement after the holidays in Austria, at a press conference where he was not much affected. However, as the end approaches, the Italian becomes more aware of what is coming and the change that his life will bring.
The #46 , who will be a father for the first time in the coming months, said that he intends to race in cars in the future, and has not ruled out doing a test with a MotoGP if he feels homesick.
“I have some paranoia with Valencia,” Rossi said in an interview for The DAZN Box . “I think I am not so prepared for that. In Austria, after announcing it, it did not affect me too much. There it will be harder because from there my life will change, I will stop being a MotoGP rider. It will not be easy, but it will still be a beautiful moment. I have been listening to messages for me to retire for 15 years, but they have never interested me. “
The nine-time world champion also reviewed some of the decisions that have marked his career, such as when he switched from Honda to Yamaha in 2004 .
“It was a combination of madness, because to leave Honda then you had to be out of your mind. And a mix of confidence. I didn’t think I would win that first race,” he said.
He also referred to the flirtations he had to change MotoGP for F1.
“I didn’t change bikes for cars in 2006 because I thought: ‘I’m going to race in MotoGP for as long as I can, and then I won’t have any regrets when I look back,’” he said.
Il dottore also had some emotional words towards the Spanish fans.
“It is always a great pleasure to come to Spain. Many of the strongest rivals I have had are Spanish and the Spanish are very attached to their drivers. And despite that, in Spain they have always treated me great. That’s why I want to thank all the Spanish fans. They make me feel as if I were running at home.”
(Click on this link or on the photo to see all Valentino Rossi’s bikes in MotoGP)
