Valentino Rossi and That Old Million-Dollar Bet: Loris Capirossi’s Revelation
Valentino Rossi and Loris Capirossi raced together on the MotoGP circuits from 1998 to 2011 (Both were promoted in 2000 from the 250cc class to the 500cc class, and together they experienced the transformation of the latter into the current MotoGP in 2002.) Always united by an excellent relationship, over the years they have shared battles on the track and memorable moments off it. One such moment, shrouded in secrecy for decades, has now been recounted by the three-time world champion. And, according to him, what was at stake was a bet worth millions.
Capirossi spoke about it in Marina di Massa, on the sidelines of the lifetime achievement award ceremony at the “Massa in Moto” event. It all took place in 1997 in Bogor, the city that hosted the riders during the weekends of the Indonesian Grand Prix at Sentul. “It was pure nonsense,” said the rider, who was racing for Aprilia at the time. Valentino Rossi and I met around 8 p.m. in the hotel lobby, which had a pool beneath the guest room terrace. He asked me which room I was in and if I wanted to make a bet. That’s a question you should never ask a rider, because he’ll never back down.”
Capirossi then recounted what Valentino Rossi challenged him to do: “He said he’d give me a million if I jumped into the pool from my room’s terrace. Of course, I didn’t back down; I jumped over the railing and landed in the pool. These are the kinds of things that shouldn’t even be talked about today, let alone done. They’re crazy stunts. But when we were young, we did all sorts of things—and on top of that, Valentino Rossi never gave me that million. I’m still waiting for him.” And considering that the stunt dates back to 1997, it’s worth noting that the bet was in lire—amounts far lower than what they would have been after the adoption of the euro. It remains, however, a significant sum for a stunt that no one should ever try to imitate.
After all, the bond between the two riders has its roots in the 250cc class, where they were teammates at Aprilia. In the 1998 season, Rossi’s first year in the class, it was Capirossi who came out on top, winning the world title ahead of the young phenom from Tavullia. The following year, the roles were reversed: Valentino dominated with nine victories, winning the World Championship and becoming the youngest rider in history to win in the 250 class. A healthy sporting rivalry, then, that never prevented the two from cultivating a relationship of mutual respect and genuine friendship—as the anecdote about the Bogor swimming pool also demonstrates, in its own way.
Capirossi, for his part, has continued to be a leading figure in the world of motorcycle racing even after his retirement. In 2023, on his 50th birthday, he appeared on ‘Sky Sport’ to comment on the first races of the World Championship, expressing his enthusiasm for the young talents coming out of Valentino Rossi’s academy. “Marco Bezzecchi reminds me of myself. He’s an instinctive, aggressive rider who never backs down, and that can make all the difference in a long season,” he said on that occasion, recognizing some of his own personality traits in the rider from Romagna, who is now Aprilia’s leading rider. A remark that almost sounds like an ideal passing of the torch between generations.
