Valentino Rossi underlines the difference between his era and today’s MotoGP. An epochal turning point and farewell to an era that will never come back.
Valentino Rossi marked an era that will never come back. In an interview with the newspaper ‘La Stampa’, the nine-time world champion talks about how times and the culture of this sport have changed.
Valentino Rossi and the end of an era
The face of MotoGP has changed after the farewell of Valentino Rossi at the end of the 2021 season. In the last two years there is talk of a paddock without great heroes, with the absence of Marc Marquez which accentuated this shortcoming. The new generations advance without an authentic leader, the romantic aspect of motorcycling has vanished according to the nostalgics who lived from the rivalries between the Doctor and the various Max Biaggi, Casey Stoner and Sete Gibernau. According to Rossi, the MotoGP circus has evolved in a direction that he himself doesn’t always like.
From a popular sport it has once again become a sport for enthusiasts. “For some reason, I managed to bring the sport closer to grandmothers and small children – Valentino Rossi told the newspaper ‘La Stampa’ -. I don’t know exactly why that was. Maybe it was a combination of my accomplishments and my character“. The charisma of the champion from Tavullia is inimitable and for now no one will be able to match this aspect, the sporting culture has also changed. “In the 90s athletes were seen as legends. I think of Maradona or Senna. The culture has changed. Who is Senna today? Maybe Hamilton, but he’s not even the youngest“.
Today’s MotoGP
In the past, rivalries thrilled fans, not just two-wheelers. Today there is a politically correct atmosphere among the pilots which dampens enthusiasm and therefore reduces the following of enthusiasts. “Today they are all friends and embrace each other. I think it was better when you said what you think. It doesn’t matter if you are a doctor, a pizza maker or a racing driver. If you always hold everything back, then it starts to become artificial“.
The absence of Valentino Rossi makes MotoGP boring at times, the Sleep tried to run for cover by introducing the Sprint Race. However, the weight of an important character like him is still felt. “To this day, people still ask me when I’ll be back racing motorcycles. And they feel bad when I tell them I’m almost 50“.
His many fans also follow him in the new chapter of four wheels, this year he will race his second season in Fanatec GT WCE. However, going back to the past is impossible: “Mine was one of the last generations who gathered at the bar, went around with souped-up scooters… After dinner, you left the house and went to the meeting point, without calling anyone. Everything has changed and I consider myself lucky“.
