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Valentino Rossi source of inspiration for Kimi Antonelli

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It is no mystery that Kimi Antonelli and Valentino Rossi have been great friends since long before the 19-year-old made his Formula 1 debut behind the wheel of the Mercedes. Their d’friendship dates back to some online races held at the time of Covid, and since then the very young Bolognese has never hidden that he takes inspiration from the Doctor for everything he does. Rossi himself has repeatedly praised Kimi, hinting that he can make his mark in Formula 1 just as he did in MotoGP, in which he has won a total of nine world titles.

Martino Davidi100 Km of Champions in Tavullia: Ranch prepares for Valentino Rossi’s party The photos

In Tavullia, another special weekend is being prepared with the "100 Km of Champions" on Nov. 28 and 29.
The Motor Ranch hosts faces from the past and present of motorcycling, along with actors, musicians and sportsmen.

The'appointment closes the season and tells the passion of Valentino Rossi in every meter of the track.
The formula includes a 100-kilometer long pairs endurance with about 23 teams and 46 drivers.

The drivers take turns in five-lap rounds for one'hour and forty-five minutes of racing.
The 2.4-kilometer track features counter-slope turns, short straights and trajectories to be interpreted.
The bikes are the classic 450 motocross bikes of the Honda, Yamaha, Ktm and Ducati brands.

The'January edition saw Diogo Moreira and Thomas Chareyre triumph amid slides and duels.
Moreira is now Moto2 world champion and next to make his MotoGP debut with Honda Lcr.
Chareyre is the'eight-time Supermoto racer who claimed victory at the Ranch.
The "100 Km of Champions" remains a ritual to celebrate the bond between Valentino, his academy and the fans.

And for that matter, one thing the two have in common, and that is their debut in their respective motorsport categories at a very young age: Rossi made his debut in the 125 class in 1996 at the age of 17, on March 31, 1996 in Malaysia, placing sixth on an Aprilia of Scuderia AGV, Antonelli, on the other hand, last March 16 in Melbourne, Australia, at the age of 18, immediately taking an excellent fourth place, although immediately behind his teammate in Mercedes George Russell. Then the season for Kimi had ups and downs, but from next season, with the regulation reset, everything could change.

Interviewed by automoto.it Antonelli talked about his relationship with Rossi this way, “Vale for me is an inspiration. He is a legend of two wheels, but he is really a simple person. We have a good relationship. Sometimes, when we can and with our schedules of course it’s not easy we go karting. I even went to his ranch a couple of times, even to watch the 100 km of champions. It’s nice to have a relationship like that not only with him, but also with the other Academy drivers. It’s really a beautiful group, a lot of fun.”

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, before making his debut this year in Formula 1, has in the Italian Formula 4 and ADAC Formula 4 in 2022 and both European and Middle East Formula Regional in 2023, while in 2024 in Formula 2 he finished sixth in the final standings by winning two races, the first at Silverstone and the second at the Hungaroring.

He has been part of planet Mercedes since 2019, when he was a member of the junior team. After a less-than-stellar debut as the third driver at Monza in 2024, when he went off the track almost immediately at the Parabolica, he became an official driver this year, finishing seventh in the driver standings and grabbing a second and two third places.

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