Valentino Rossi Reflects on Post-MotoGP Life: ‘You Start to Understand Some Things in a Different Way’

Valentino Rossi discusses the changes in his life post-MotoGP

"You begin to see things from a new perspective…"

Valentino Rossi, a nine-time world champion in motorcycle racing, has been retired from MotoGP for nearly three years now. While he still participates in racing activities, he acknowledges that his life has undergone some changes since he left the highest tier of motorcycle competition.

Valentino Rossi competed in Grand Prix racing from 1996 to 2021, spanning a career of 26 seasons during which he achieved 115 race victories, stood on the podium 235 times, and secured nine world championships. By the end of 2021, he chose to retire from motorcycle racing to explore a new path in car racing, concluding that he could no longer vie for top finishes and victories in the MotoGP series.

Over the past three years, Rossi has achieved several milestones: securing victory in two races within the GT World Challenge Europe series, earning a position as a factory BMW GT3 driver, clinching a podium finish in the FIA World Endurance Championship, and leading the LMGT3 class at Le Mans.

Simultaneously, the VR46 Riders Academy has secured its debut and second MotoGP championships through Francesco Bagnaia. Additionally, the VR46 Racing Team has achieved three top-tier Grand Prix victories, all thanks to Marco Bezzecchi, as well as one MotoGP Sprint win, also by Bezzecchi. Recently, the team has been designated as the official Ducati satellite team in MotoGP starting from 2025, with Fabio Di Giannantonio slated to compete on a factory-spec Desmosedici GP25 for the team.

Two years ago, he experienced fatherhood for the first time, and now he and his partner Francesca are anticipating the arrival of their second baby.

Despite Rossi's evident ongoing engagement with racing, the 45-year-old Italian asserts that his life has undergone significant changes since his peak years in top-tier motorcycle competition.

Rossi shared with TNT Sports that his mindset shifted somewhat after he retired from MotoGP.

"As a result, you feel less stressed and begin to perceive certain things differently than you did when you were a rider."

"As a rider, you are constantly immersed in a 'bubble' of concentration, which makes you somewhat less aware of everything else because your primary focus is always on the races."

"Life always has that aspect. You have other responsibilities, undoubtedly, but you're constantly engaged, always immersed in the process, trying to figure out how to improve and speed things up."

Since his retirement from MotoGP in November 2021, a significant period has now passed since Rossi's time in the Grand Prix circuit.

“I feel more at ease now,” he mentioned. “But aside from that, my life hasn’t changed much: I stay busy with numerous tasks, such as putting in a lot of effort for the team and working with the academy to provide the best support to all our riders.”

Apart from feeling more at ease, Rossi notes that the biggest difference between now and 2021 is his increased workload.

"I find myself working more now. Back when I was a rider, I had fewer tasks — these days, I spend a significant amount of time in the office with numerous responsibilities to handle."

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