Marco Bezzecchi
Jorge Martinez Aspar looked back on his time competing with Valentino Rossi, and compared it to the modern era of the sport.
Rossi left a mark on MotoGP like no rider before or since him ever has. The Italian is considered by many to be the greatest rider of all time.
But Rossi’s talent shone through before he reached MotoGP, as he was considered a prodigious talent from a very young age.
Give us your MotoGP Mount Rushmore
The Italian legend deserves an immense amount of credit for helping MotoGP expand and get to the place it is at today, as the sport is thriving in a way it hadn’t in the past.
But for Jorge Martinez Aspar, the era in which he and Valentino Rossi were involved was a more honest and earnest representation of motorcycle racing.
READ MORE: Valentino Rossi says ‘really sad’ Troy Bayliss convinced him not to retire from MotoGP too early
Jorge Martinez Aspar says Valentino Rossi’s era was less professional
Speaking in an interview with Nico Abad, former rider and current Aspar Moto2 team boss, Jorge Martinez Aspar, reflected on his time racing against Valentino Rossi in the 125cc class championship.
He noted that there was a ruggedness about the time when he and Rossi, along with their contemporaries, were riding.
Compare this to today, when MotoGP is extremely polished and professional, there isn’t the same grit as there was during their time.
“What I liked the most about that era of MotoGP was how authentic everything was back then. In terms of the human relationship that existed.
“It was much closer. It was all much more authentic. That has a good side and a bad side. There was an enormous risk that existed.
“The professionalism that exists now didn’t exist then. Now everything is mega professional and mega safe.”
READ MORE: Jorge Lorenzo says Valentino Rossi’s value was ‘in the gutter’ when he returned to Yamaha
True or False? Valentino Rossi was a better MotoGP rider than Marc Marquez.
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Jorge Martinez Aspar reveals how Valentino Rossi’s rise inspired his decision to retire in 1997
Aspar also explained how Rossi’s rise as a top rider proved to him that he needed to retire, as he just couldn’t keep up with him for much longer.
He also revealed that Rossi, who was dominating the 125cc class, looked at the 250cc class and believed that he could hang with the top riders in that class.
“I would have kept going another 10 years if I could. But then a kid came along who dyed his hair, dressed up as Superman, and did who knows what.
“I said, ‘No, look, I don’t want to be here just for the sake of being here. I already had my racing team, and what I want is to continue in the world of motorsport, but running my team…’ I didn’t feel any lack of speed. When I retired in 1997, I was battling with Valentino until the last race.
For an experienced rider like Aspar, at that point, it must have been a difficult decision to accept that he couldn’t keep up with a young, quick rider like Rossi.
Aspar is far from the only rider to have this experience. Rossi’s genius as a rider has mesmerised several names across the history of the sport.
Rossi set the standard for today’s MotoGP riders, not only by helping the sport reach heights it had never seen, but also by being a flagbearer for the sport in the best way possible.
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