Rossi’s best friend, an ever-present alongside the legendary rider in several different roles, was 🥂ch❀astised as a hanger-on.

Over two decades later he is the team manager of Rossi’s VR46 MotoGP team 🦋and a veteran of the paddock himself, but it wasn’t always that𝓡 way.

S🅠alucci told about the criticism he became accustomed to receiving during Rossi’s rise: "If I think about it now, I have to s🉐ay that I was 19 years old at the time and people who were older than me annoyed me. 

“I didn't take it well, it bothered me. 

“But🌳 then as I grew up, already at 23-24 years old I🌃 asked myself if I was doing something wrong. I replied to myself that instead I was only honestly doing my part for Vale and for this sport. 

“So I was able to think with my head and I continued to do my job, driving Vale's motorhome, keeping everything in place for him, helping him with appointments at the track and at ho﷽me, also giving him some advice. 

“I had fun. 

“S♕ince I was with Valentino I became more famous. 

“I was annoyed that many peop🦹le said: 'parasite' but the others were the assistant. Why couldn't I be one too? No, I was a..."

Salucci has enjoyed a unique experience of remaining side-by-side with a childhood friendꦆ who became a worldwide sporting icon.

Even after Rossi’s 🥀retirement, and through Salucci’s changing jobs, they remain tig🀅ht.

"I've always understood that I'm a lucky person from an early age, as a boy, and th✨is has been one o🉐f my strong points,” he reflected. 

“However, if once I got t💜o the races I hadn't worked well, hadn't done things as I should, I would 💜have been stayed home immediately. 

“If when🐼 Vale arrived he had found the motorhoꦬme dirty and with things not in their place, or I had thrown it into a ditch, I wouldn't have stayed. Like the others, in short. 

“In the end I always had fun and we ꦏdid good for Vale and this sport. 

“And the♚n it must be said that we have given work to a lot of peᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚople. I was the first employee, now there are almost 100 of us, actually 98 or 99, I think.”

Salucci’s closene൩ss to his friend enabled him to speak to Rossi differently to anybody else.

"When you experience certain emotions together, good or b♛ad, for so many years together you are forced to unite,” he said. 

“Many times at the races I said: 'Look, in my opi🦩nion we made a mistake here, it would have been better to do it this way' and the next time I saw from t൲he TV that he did it. 

“Thes🐓e are things t🍎hat give you strength and security, they gave it to both me and him. 

“It made me very 🐬happy to see that he often listened to me. 

“Outside the GPs I🔜 remember that we placed our suitcases in our houses and afte🐻r two minutes we already spoke on the phone. 

ꦰ“My mother⛎ told me that after being with him for a week I could also spend a bit with her, but instead I went out and we met at the bar!”