Valentino Rossi has always been surrounded by very few people, his most loyal friends. Uccio and Albi to name just two, and father Graziano of course. The latter has often stayed behind the scenes, despite being the one to have passed his love for this sport on to Valentino. And this is a good time to remember all this, as we go right back to the start.

“We chose Valentino as a name as a tribute to a dear friend of my name - Graziano tells Sky – someone who helped me during my early years as a rider and who died too soon. Stefania (Palma, Rossi’s mum) agreed. She’s been very important throughout Vale’s career, she never tried to oppose Valentino’s desire to race, which was key”.

Pride is clear to see on Graziano’s face, underlining just how much love Valentino has put into motorcycling, and how much he’s received in return.

“Valentino has given all he has to his sport, and got so much back. Firstly, the love of the people, something unforgettable that will make his daughter proud. He soon realised he was a winner, for me he’s still the two-year old who wheelied down the hall with his first scooter”.

Graziano Rossi: “Never on time, but a perfectionist”

That small boy became a man, able to beat all, or almost all, his rivals both on and off the track, harnessing his every weapon.

“His ability to dominate mentally over his rivals is perhaps the trait that has made the most difference, even more than the stopwatch. At a sporting level Valentino is not good, but not unfair either. Of all his rivals, the one who left the biggest impression was Stoner - he had many secrets, it was hard to understand why he was fast”.

And then the many small details, from Valentino’s difficulties at school to his timekeeping and his perfectionism when dealing with the big or the small.

“He was never punctual. Not at school, which he attended only because he had to, and not now. But he’s a perfectionist in everything he does, from putting the stickers on his first bike to the most important things. Am I scared when he rides? Since he began, I started to experience all the good and bad emotions that riding brings all over again”.

Translated by Heather Watson

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