Valentino Rossi wants to become the oldest rider to win a race in MotoGP

For those who thought Valentino Rossi was a washed-out rider, and was just taking up a factory bike that some other rider deserved more, and that he should retire before the end of his two-year contract, may be dismayed to find out that the former World Champion may decide to stick around MotoGP racing a little more than beyond the 2014 season.

With his much needed victory and confidence boost at Assen, and after waiting for more than two years and 45 races before returning to the top of the podium (Assen was strangely enough his ‘46th’ race since his last victory), a jovial and laughing Rossi in an interview withSportmediaset, said that he has a couple of dreams for his future:

“Not to have to wait another 46 races to win another, and break another record, and become the oldest rider to win a MotoGP race. I think that the record holder was 37, and this means I’ll have to race for another three years.”

The 37-year old that Rossi was talking about was Troy Bayliss, who won the 2006 Valencia race as a wildcard entry for Ducati after he won the World Superbike championship that season.

Returning on the subject of his victory in the Dutch GP Rossi said, “this is one of those victories that comes slowly, the race was hard, but I can say that more time passes, the more your enjoy a win.”

And on his two difficult years in Ducati: “During those two years we had to live for those fortunate moments, like the podium in Le Mans, because it was wet. Here we took a step forward in the set-up, I feel more comfortable with the bike and it would be nice if I could fight each weekend. My rivals are at an extremely high level and things have changed from ten years ago: before there was more strategy, now to win you have to give it 100% from the first to the last lap.”

Asked about those who criticize him and said he is has-been, “When things aren’t going well and the results aren’t arriving, I’m the first person who is sorry about it, but now things are going better and I don’t want to think about the people who were saying those things. From where I come from they’d say ‘take a ….’. You’ve got to think positive when you’re happy, not on the negative.”

from Twowheelsblog