Marco Lucchinelli: What a snub to Valentino Rossi’s fans

Marco Lucchinelli, the 1981 500cc World Champion, spoke about MotoGP in an interview with Bike 70, focusing on Valentino Rossi and, in particular, his fans—with comments that sparked quite a bit of controversy on social media.

“Everyone was saying, ‘Valentino’s retiring and people won’t come anymore,’ but that’s not true. Agostini retired, Stoner retired, Lorenzo retired, and people keep coming—if you have passion. They said nobody goes to Mugello anymore, and that’s not true.”

“Valentino had his own fan base, and it’s not as if he did anything particularly great, because Valentino did some great things, but his fans didn’t. Because his fans are a bit like Jehovah’s Witnesses—they only see him, and him alone,” said Lucchinelli, whose comments sparked hundreds of reactions on Facebook, ranging from those who agree with him to those who harshly criticize him.

Meanwhile, Valentino Rossi has welcomed Nicolò Bulega to his team: the Superbike champion will join the Ducati VR46 team next season. “Making it to MotoGP is a dream, especially because I’ll be making my debut with the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team,” explained the rider from Emilia. “I chose this team because I’ve always had a close connection with them: when I was a kid, I was in the VR46 Riders Academy, so I know everyone well. So, taking this step with people I know makes it easier on a personal level. Plus, they’re all extremely professional.”