Valentino Rossi continues to cultivate his passion for racing by competing in the World Endurance Championship with BMW in the GT class. However, his heart still beats for MotoGP, where he closely monitors the performances of his protégés from the VR-46 academy and his team, made up of Marco Bezzecchi and Fabio Di Giannantonio. Rossi, also a Yamaha ambassador, recently discussed the situation for next season regarding Pecco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez …
« Bagnaia doesn’t need Marquez to arrive to prove he’s the strongest in the team” said Valentino Rossi in an interview with GPOne, acknowledging that the arrival of Marc Marquez in the official team Ducati surprised everyone, including himself, Bagnaiaand especially Jorge Martin. « It will probably be hard for Bagnaia because he will have a very uncomfortable partner.,” he added, while expressing his confidence in the ability to Bagnaia to compete with Marquez. For Valentino, the presence of Marquez could even be beneficial for Bagnaiabecause it would show that he fears no one, even in the face of such a formidable opponent.
Valentino Rossi : ” Pecco doesn’t need Marquez in the team to prove he’s the strongest »
Rossi insisted that Bagnaia does not need to prove its worth to Marquez : « Pecco doesn’t need Márquez in the team to prove he’s the strongest. A rider who has won three world titles, including two consecutive ones in MotoGP with Ducati, doesn’t need it. »
Valentino also highlighted the flourishing period that Italy is going through in MotoGP with talented riders like Bagnaia and a strong Italian representation in the lower categories. However, he also noted the lack of Italian success in Formula 1 for more than 20 years. Rossi believes in the future of the young Formula 2 driver, Kimi Antonelli, whom he has known since childhood and with whom he regularly trains in karting.
As for his own future, Rossi has no intention of slowing down. He is even considering moving to the Hypercar category in the World Endurance Championship. “ I would like to race with Hypercars, it’s every driver’s dream, like going to MotoGP. The plan is to test it at the end of the year, then we’ll see. In 2025, I will surely continue to race in GT,” he confided.
