Alessio “Uccio” Salucci is more than a friend to Valentino Rossi. Inseparable companions in the pits until Rossi’s retirement from MotoGP in 2021, their friendship remains intact in private life and their collaboration continues within the VR46 team, led by Salucci. Uccio is full of fascinating stories to tell…
Salucci et Rossi not only marked the history of Italy in the premier category, but they also allowed many young talents to shine.
Pecco Bagnaia, Franco Morbidelli, Marco Bezzecchi et
Luca Mariniall from VR46 Academyare now an integral part of the MotoGP grid. An adventure that began in 2013, in partnership with Sky.
In July 2013, at the Sachsenring, Carmelo Ezpeleta called me. He told me that Sky wanted to enter MotoGP, that he wanted a team in Moto3 with a budget to manage. », remembers Salucci during a podcast with
Andrea Migno. « I spoke to Vale about it the following Monday. At the end of 2013we had the Academy and the team, two separate entities. »
Since then, there has been no shortage of successes. Of the two recent MotoGP titles of Pecco Bagnaia to the resounding victories of the young protégés of the Academy. One of the biggest hugs Vale gave me was for your win at Mugello, Migno, really “, continues Salucci. ” Or Franco’s first podium at Italtrans, where I went to beg for him to get a place. But the emotion I felt with Bezzecchi’s victory in Argentina last year is unforgettable. When I stood on the podium with him, I thought it was better to leave him alone. »
Uccio Salucci: « With Max Biaggi there has always been an underlying mutual respect »
The twenty years spent alongside Valentino Rossi have been marked by legendary moments and challenges. The intense rivalry with
Marc Marquez in 2015particularly at Sepang, is well anchored in memories, but the emblematic opponent remains
Max Biaggibetween the end of the 90s and the beginning of the 2000s. 2001 was authentic, with lots of jokes, but always an underlying mutual respect. » And he adds to this yardstick on Corsedimoto: “ with Marc Marquez it wasn’t even a rivalry ».
The legendary career of Rossi concluded in 2021, giving way to his passion for motor racing.
I knew this moment would come, but it was a tough year. It wasn’t going well, we knew we were leaving and we just had to go all the way. Every race I finished made me happy, but I knew an era was ending “, entrusts Salucci. The transition was also trying for Uccio… ” In 2022 I suffered, I was still looking for Vale on the screens.
No longer experiencing races with him, in a campervan, after twenty-five years, was a big change for me. And then I really had to start working “, he concludes jokingly.
