“Valentino Rossi? It’s cool to be his brother, but he has conditioned my life »-Corriere.it

«Rational and ruthless with himself». This is said about him by those who know him well. Luca Marini, 26 years old on 10 August, an emerging MotoGP talent, has a very famous brother, Valentino Rossi and an anomalous style. Solar in appearance, Errol Flynn mustache, blond tuft, blue eye; he is shady in manner. Self-critical and reflective.

He confirms?
«I confirm. I question myself, never happy. I try to improve character because sometimes you need to be happy, even when you don’t get what you want”.

What is she missing as she seeks full affirmation?
«I have grown a lot, as a driver and as a person. I tend to be shy, I struggle to be around people but I managed to open up, at work and in life. In the race I have to be more decisive, to unleash my fire on the track. It is hard to explain”.

Extraneous to the typical goliardia of the World Championship, the whole surname written on the suit, a certain allergy even to the nickname, “Maro”…
«I don’t want to be different at all costs but to be myself. I try not to look like a character by forcing behaviors. I enjoy myself, I love my job and I communicate according to my nature».

Luca, Valentino’s brother. The theme is a must. An honor or a nuisance?
“It’s cool to be Vale’s brother. Honor, sure. Annoyance is too strong a word, he never was. However we are talking about something that has conditioned my career by putting me under a magnifying glass, a different position than others».

How has your relationship changed since Valentino stopped racing motorcycles?
“Not very much. See you less. Vale taught me a lot, especially on the use of tyres, a key issue for racing. The quality of the report is the same, very high. The way we behave, in the family, never changes, we are very united ».

Mom Stephanie. Valentino has always been protective of her. And she?
«Marta, my fiancée, says I’m very jealous of my mother. I don’t notice. Rather, Stefania makes me laugh a lot ».

Dad Massimo, a psychologist, lives in Rome, he gave her his support for the Giallorossi; her sister-in-law, Giorgia, wrote her thesis about her. Does extended family work?
«Yes, Giorgia is in charge of marketing, she’s very good, we’re thinking of doing something together, dad has some health problems otherwise he would come to the track more often. My fault if we don’t see each other as we would like.’

Is the number 10 on your bike a tribute to Totti?
“It corresponds to the day I was born. Then, as a football fan, I thought of many phenomena with that shirt starting with Totti ».

Present, at the age of 4, at Valentino’s victory in the 2001 World Championship. For her father – quoting Freud – that image of her gave birth to the desire to run. Do you have any memory of her?
“No. My approach to motorcycles was gradual. I’ve always liked doing so many different things. But the bike gives me that adrenaline rush, those extreme sensations that I can’t find elsewhere».

Wedding in July. With Marta Vincenzo. You’ve been engaged since elementary school. It seems like a story from another time.
“Ever since I was a child I have always thought that she was the right person. Marta brings out from me what would otherwise remain hidden, we are fine, with our tiny poodles, a couple and two puppies that we will give to my future mother-in-law».

Bezzecchi teammate. As different as day and night. Is that so?
«Less than it seems, above all considering our way of working. Bez appears much more jaunty than he is, even in everyday life ».

Bagnaia world champion. You were teammates in Moto2. Did you expect such significant growth?
«No, but when you’re in Moto2 you have no idea of ​​the changes that occur when you switch to MotoGP. His career is impressive.”

Marquez and Quartararo out of contention. Advantage or sin?
«Many riders today are as strong as they are. And beating opponents with the same bike as yours is, I think, of great value, greater than fighting against riders who use different means that amplify or reduce the differences in riding».

Sprint racing, more risks and more show. Is that okay?
«I was against it, now I’m used to it. But there’s a lot to do to find the automatisms again on a track you haven’t seen for a year. We need a time we don’t have. Indeed, many falls. We’ll see if it will be possible to correct things a bit.’

More admired by Verstappen or sorry for Leclerc?
«Sorry for Leclerc. We’ll have to wait for next year to see a winning Ferrari. Now Red Bull has three or four more gears».

Fear never settles. Lorenzo Bandini said it, a Ferrari driver who died in 1967. And yet, fear exists. For those who run and for the people close to those who run.
«Those who are close to a pilot suffer much more. If you drive it’s different. You have to control it, there is no system to eliminate it and rightly so».

The useful advice he repeats to himself?
«Speak, Luca, throw out. Take off the suit, go back to the box and express what you have inside. Once I couldn’t do it. Now, by dint of repeating it to myself, it’s better».