Penultimate GP for Valentino rossi as a motorcycle racing driver. This quote from Portimao 2 and of Valencia, next week, they are the ones that will put an end to 26 seasons in the World Cup, to give way to a new life in which he will not lack ways to burn adrenaline, because he is very clear that he will run on four wheels. In his press conference on the Algarve track, he has already spoken almost more about cars than about motorcycles.
-How do you get to Portimao?
-It is very interesting to be in Portimao for the second time. It’s a strange situation, because we don’t do it twice in a row but at the end of the season. In April, it was difficult, but at the end of the race I was fast. I was in the top ten, but unfortunately I fell. I will try to do my best and get into the top ten.
-How about the Ferrari test with Luca and Uccio?
-I tried it yesterday, in Misano, because we will race in Abu Dhabi in January, with Luca and Uccio. It is a race that we wanted to do for the last three years and it is for fun. In the test, unfortunately, the weather was not good, but we really enjoyed ourselves, we tested the car and it was not bad. Next I’ll be a car driver. The approach and the effort is different, but this race I’m talking about will still be for fun. We need to understand in which championship and with what program next year.
-Can you go deeper?
-It is a very important moment for TT and endurance racing, because there will be a new category next year, the Hypercar, and all the important brands will be in it in 2023, such as Ferrari, Porsche, Audi racing with these cars. Next year I will race with a TT, a grand tourer, but I still don’t know in which championship, the European Le Mans Series or the International TT Challenge. We need to decide in which competition and with which car, and also to understand my level and my speed. Sure I like driving the LMP2 or the Hypercar, but the level of the pilots is very high and I don’t know if mine is enough. We will try to understand this last year.
-How do you see the fights for the Moto2 and Moto3 titles and who would you bet on?
-The thing is very interesting for motorcycle fans, and I also say it for the SBK. They are being great years for Moto3 and Moto2, with the championships still open. In Moto3, there are 21 points of difference. Acosta was impressive at the beginning of the season, but in the second half Foggia was very fast and was able to regain ground. It will be very interesting what happens. And in Moto2, it is a fight between two teammates, Gardner and Fernández. In the last few races, Fernández has been very, very strong, but he made a mistake. It will also be interesting. The two championships are very open and I do not bet, I enjoy it as a fan.
-The time is approaching for its definitive withdrawal …
-Now we have two consecutive races. I have ten days left as a pilot. Ten days compared to 26 years is nothing. It’s a very emotional moment, honestly, but I want to focus on doing my best until the end of the season. That is very important to me. In Misano, the race was not so bad, and I want to do my best and not think too much about what will happen on Monday after Valencia. I’m still a driver and I want to enjoy these two races to the fullest. This is like the last two weeks of school. You have to go day by day and be focused on doing my best so that I don’t think too much about after Valencia, when I’ll stop being a MotoGP rider. The decision is already made and I have to be focused.
-Have you had any doubts?
-Actually no. We will have to see when this really ends, but I feel good and calm right now.