Marco Bezzecchi
Alvaro Bautista claimed he never ‘idolised’ Valentino Rossi growing up, but admired what he did for MotoGP riders that came after him.
Rossi is considered the greatest MotoGP rider of all time, with his accomplishments and overall impact on the sport transcending that of any other rider before or after him.
Rossi was a true showman during his career, managing to attract new eyes to MotoGP not just with his dominance, but with his personality and charisma.
Which of the current MotoGP grid would beat prime Valentino Rossi today?
In the eyes of many figures within the sport, Rossi is considered the king of MotoGP, with his nine MotoGP championships backing that claim quite well.
However, for Alvaro Bautista, it was what Valentino Rossi did for MotoGP riders that he admires the most about him.
READ MORE: Valentino Rossi’s former engineer compares in-form Marco Bezzecchi to MotoGP icon
Alvaro Bautista claims Valentino Rossi allowed MotoGP riders to ‘relax’ more
Speaking in an interview with Fast and Curious, Alvaro Bautista was asked about what his experience was like as a contemporary of Valentino Rossi’s.
Bautista praised Rossi for helping to bring a more relaxed environment to MotoGP and allowing riders to be more jovial and less serious.
“More than my idol, I liked how fun he was. I think, like everyone else, he changed the mindset on motorcycles and racing.
“Before, it was more serious. When Valentino arrived, it was more relaxed, everything was more calm, more humorous. I think I changed a bit because of it.
“Valentino has lived a lot; he’s had to adapt to everything. I admire him a lot. He wasn’t my idol when I was little…
“To be able to fight with Valentino, who is one of the best ever in motorcycle racing, or at least changed the way we see motorcycling, was an honour…”
READ MORE: Loris Reggiani names MotoGP rider who never won a title but had more ‘talent’ than Valentino Rossi
True or False? Valentino Rossi was a better MotoGP rider than Marc Marquez.
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Alvaro Bautista applauds Valentino Rossi for adapting to MotoGP changes
Speaking further during the podcast, Bautista also noted that he respects Rossi for being able to survive and thrive whenever MotoGP entered a new era.
“But Valentino never really became my idol. I admired him because he was incredibly fast. When he moved up to 250cc, he was very competitive from the start. When he moved up to 500cc, that was the important step. Because now, with four-strokes, it became relatively easier.
“But in the two-stroke era, not everyone could reach 500. That required skill. Now, with all the electronics available, it’s not a shame, but it has evolved so much that perhaps the rider’s skill is less noticeable than it was in the two-stroke era.
“Valentino was able to adapt to all the categories very quickly, and then he was able to adapt to the four-stroke as well. He was able to adapt to the new generations, styles, tyres…”
Rossi created the blueprint for riders embracing massive changes in MotoGP. And with a major change coming to the sport in the 2027 regulations, many of today’s riders will want to replicate this blueprint going forward.
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