MotoGP: 4 little known facts about Valentino Rossi

Valentino Rossi is considered one of the greatest motorcycle racers of all time. The Italian is known to be quite competitive in nature, with the fierce rivalry shared with opponents: Max Biaggi, Sete Gibernau, Casey Stoner, Jorge Lorenzo and Marc Márquez indicating his ruthless mentality. Rossi even went to the extent of punching Biaggi following the 2001 500cc GP in Barcelona, having emerged victorious by a margin of 2.5 seconds. However, he also has a fine sense of humour which very few fans might know. The Italian’s press conferences during the 2011 and 2012 seasons where he struggled to perform, witnessed the presence of very few journalists. Only two journalists were present at the media debrief after he finished ninth at Silverstone. Rossi had a funny quip up his sleeve, terming it as “exactly the right number for ninth place.”.

However, there are also certain other aspects about the legendary racer, which fans might not be aware about. Here are four such little known facts:

First Yamaha Racer To Emerge Victorious At The Honda Circuit – Valentino Rossi became the first Yamaha rider to win at Twin Ring Motegi, which is a Honda-owned circuit following his triumph in 2008. Rossi further enjoys the unique distinction of being the first racer in history to win World Championships in 125cc, 250cc, 500cc and MotoGP.

Fan Of Inter Milan – Rossi is a fan of Serie A giants Inter Milan. The racer announced this fact publicly, which was followed by the club congratulating him on a MotoGP World Championship triumph. Rossi repaid the compliment following Inter Milan’s win in the UEFA Champions League back in 2010 under Jose Mourinho, expressing his love and appreciation. The racer has often been seen supporting the club at the San Siro, the home ground of Inter Milan.

First MotoGP Racer To Complete A ‘Lap Of The World’ – Valentino Rossi completed 40,075 km of racing in 2018, which is approximately the same as completing a lap around the world. He further travelled the circumference of the earth at the Circuito de Jerez Àngel Nieto which saw him complete almost 8,800 laps. The laps which were considered included only race laps and not practice laps which is certainly awe-inspiring.

Home Of Tavullia Is A Shrine – Valentino Rossi’s hometown of Tavullia which is located in Italy, is considered a “place of pilgrimage by many fans.” Some fans have even chosen the town as the destination for their honeymoon, as stated by Flavio Fratesi, the director of the official Rossi fan club.

“Tavullia is seen as a place of pilgrimage by many fans. Some have even come here during their honeymoon,” says Fratesi as quoted by the BBC. “When they come, they come to see the places where Valentino grew up, where he lives and where he trains,” he added.

More than 20,000 fans from Asia, South America and Asia visit his hometown every year, which is an indication of the love and respect which he commands in their hearts