Valentino Rossi ended a long career in MotoGP at the end of the 2021 season. However, the decision was made months before the end of this season, and at a time when he also found out… that he was going to be a father.
In an interview with the BSMT podcast, the current car driver spoke about the moment he decided to end his career: ‘It was after Assen that I really decided to stop. It was the summer break. I wanted to continue competing, but above all, I wanted to see if I could still be competitive. I couldn’t come here to finish in 12th place. Assen was a very important race, as it is one of my favorite circuits. I won there ten times, so it has always been a bit like my home‘.
Next, Rossi stated: ‘Before I left, I went to eat with Franci [Francesca Sofia Novello, girlfriend] and she told me, “I don’t feel like having coffee, maybe I’ll take a pregnancy test in the next few days.” I agreed and went to Assen. Once there, I didn’t think about her test anymore‘.
In the Dutch race, Il Dottore had a high-speed crash, which did not leave him indifferent: ‘When I was in the gravel, I thought about leaving: “If you need a sign…”. Imagine the state of mind when you think about leaving something you’ve been doing for 25 years‘.
Then came the conversation with his partner… and the discovery that he was going to be a father: ‘I came home and told Franci to go out for dinner. I was going to tell her, but she also had something to tell me. I found out I was going to be a father on the same day that I may have decided to stop competing!‘.
