Valentino Rossi was for sure one, if not the main, source for MotoGP growth for a lot of time but, after his retirement back in 2021, his ‘effect’ on the category ‘faded’, so Davide Brivio believes.
Speaking to MotoSprint, quoted on Crash.net, the current Team Principal of Trackhouse Racing addressed the current state of MotoGP and the way Il Dottore was a reason for the category to grow: ‘MotoGP has changed over time, as have the characters that compose it. Valentino was a sort of popular effect, similar to [fellow Italians] Alberto Tomba in skiing and Jannik Sinner in tennis. Rossi gave the system a boost’.
However and as the saying goes «nothing lasts forever», nowadays scenario is different but still, there is a lot of excitment going around: ‘Today the #46 effect has faded, but the audience is still high.The enthusiasm is there. And how…’.
Rossi is still a very strong personality in the MotoGP world and follows the championship closely, making sure he is present in the paddock along his team – Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team – everytime possible.