Top 65 Quotes & Sayings by Valentino Rossi

My normal life is like being on holiday.

To be a great motorbike racer, the most important thing is passion for the bike.

I never race for records. The motivation to try to beat the record is not enough to continue. You have to enjoy it.

But I could also start F1 or rallying. I love rallying much more.

In my opinion we are at the limit now, and 17 races is really too much. With all the testing that we do now, it means we're always on the bike and it's quite difficult.

I'm Valentino Rossi. And I want to be a person, not an icon.

Maybe the bike is more dangerous, but the passion for the car for me is second to the bike.

The most important thing is to have a good relationship with the bike... you have to understand what she wants. I think of a motorcycle as a woman, and I know that sounds silly, but it's true.

If I test the car for a year I can be quite competitive the next season.

Maybe if Graziano make another work or another sport I wouldn't have had this passion to be a rider.

I would have probably stolen cars - it would have given me the same adrenaline rush as racing.

I was lucky. My father raced bikes. He gave me the passion very early. I had my first bike when I was three or four years old.

I always enjoyed myself a lot in pre-school.

You look at Moto3, the races are very exciting. Moto2 is fantastic, and then MotoGP is boring.

I race to win. If I am on the bike or in a car it will always be the same.

The work that we do during the winter is very important; we have a new bike and it's important to develop it during this time, and we start with this test.

It's a big, big advantage because understanding what changes we might make takes time and it takes time to work out settings and to understand everything about the new machine.

I am able to ride the bike and think clearly about strategy and tyres. I also have positive thinking. I am very constructively critical.

In 2002 the Yamaha was at more or less the same level as the Honda, better in some ways, worse in others. But in the winter of last year between 2002 and 2003, Honda made a big step forward and it seemed as if Yamaha couldn't quite match that improvement.

I have a lot of energy after 2 A.M. I like to sleep in the morning. I have some problems at the start of the day.

Once the races begin it's more difficult and there is never that much time for testing.

The great fights with your strongest rivals are always the biggest motivation. When you win easily it's not the same taste.

Riding a race bike is an art - a thing that you do because you feel something inside.

How do Ferrari know what I'm doing next year when I don't know what I'm doing next week?

I don't like being famous - it is like a prison. And driving for Ferrari would make it far worse.

To win the Championship in the first year will be hard. We need time to become competitive and win races.

My father raced bikes. He gave me the passion very early. I had my first bike when I was three or four years old.

I have won on Honda and Yamaha so maybe it is interesting to win with a third team, Ducati, who are Italian.

As for the level of spectacle of the two disciplines, I leave it to the people who watch the races to comment.

We have the 2004 M1 here for reference, which is useful. It worked well here last year; we won the race and always did fast lap times so it will be interesting to compare it to the new bike and it will help us to understand which parts have improved.

Also, when I started racing he knew a lot of people and it was more easy for me to find the first bike, so I have a good chance for sure.

It is a big problem and so I don't know for sure if I say yes or no to Ferrari.

Fortunately during my career I have won more or less everything, so I need to enjoy it to have the right motivation.

I have designs I like applied to my helmet, motorcycle, riding suits, gloves,and boots. I have a designer friend of mine put the designs on them for me. I think a livery on the helmet is significant in expressing a rider's personality.

The work that we do during the winter is very important; we have a new bike and it's important to develop it during this time.

Luck is one thing. It has always been there, it has always been a part of my success. It's a part of everyone's success. Without it, you can't be successful. But luck is something you have to stimulate, something you have to nurture through the choices you make...That's why things have always worked out for me. Things work out not just because I'm lucky, but because I plan ahead. I figure out what I want and I go for it. I've always spent a lot of time trying to surround myself with the right people, the kinds of teammates who could lead me to my goals.

You try to do a technical feature: in front of me I had a strong rider who brakes hard and it's difficult to pass.

I like physical exercise. I actually like sports in general. I really like snowboarding and playing soccer, too.

My approach to the races hasn't changed in my 20-year career. If I have the chance to attack and to pass, I do it, trying to get the best possible result.

Giving yourself threads doesn't mean you don't believe in yourself in my opinion.

I am focused on racing. I enjoy it. It's a great feeling to be back fighting for the title.

We kept on racing, doing something that Luis [Salom] loved. Fortunately or unfortunately, life goes on.

I try to have a different relationship with the bike. I don't give it a name, but I always speak with it. I don't know if the other riders do the same. This is not only a piece of metal - there is a soul. The bike talks back too. But not with a voice, with the components

It is dangerous and unbelievably fast and entirely different from the kind of track I am used to racing on

The tragic incident of Luis Salom reminds us that our sport, our passion, is dangerous. We know it but, in a way, we don't think about it.

Nowadays, we have to deal with so many more factors that weren't there in the past. It's not enough to be a good rider, if you want to finish at the front. The riders have become incredible athletes. In the past, you could manage the race and fight only on the last laps. Now you need to train hard. You cannot allow yourself to go on track without being at 100 percent.

I have so much respect for my opponents; many of them watched the races as little children and were supporting me!

I am completely focused on being strong, riding fast, and enjoying myself. With the new generation of riders, only the chronometer counts. I need to be faster than them on track.

Motivation is the key. More than training, more than experience or age, motivation counts. You have to ask yourself: 'Why am I racing?' I race because I like it, because I'm really enjoying it. I like to set up my bike and ride it on track. After 20 years in the GPs I'm still highly motivated. Everything else is a consequence.

I am still here because I like to prove myself. I still like to ride the bike on track and enjoy the races. I still have good reasons to be in racing after so many years.

I feel 100% a Yamaha rider in my heart. I had a long career and raced with several factory bikes, but the highlight of my career is undoubtedly with Yamaha.

Our sport is dangerous. We risk the life out there, so we need to stay calm and focused and leave all the rest out.

I'm lucky because I don't feel too much pressure - it's only in the last hour before the race, and even then it's good, positive pressure.

I'm very happy because I won a lot. I've won races and lived in a world that just gave me joy, so I remember it very positively.

I have always challenged myself and it's also important to learn from the rivals. Every rider has his own style, and you have to count on some elements that cannot be changed. On the contrary, the bike or the tires can change and it's important to adapt yourself. It's up to the rider to understand what he can change and how much he can adapt.

The speed is something dangerous but very exciting.

Friendship is very important to me. With some friends, we've known each other since we were kids and it's a very strong relationship. They always tell me what they think even when I am wrong. It's great to share with them the best moments. I also have many friends in the team, and I like to share my passion with them.

I think the secret is to understand that you still want to be part of the game. To do so, you have to forget all the victories you've managed to get in the previous years and have a great humility. You also need to realise that, if you want to go on, you have to work hard. If you dwell too much on your past successes and say "well, I have won nine world titles and more than 100 races", you'd rather stay home.

You need a combination of many things to get good results. Experience is one of these, and it can be very useful at the right moment. I don't know if it helps to go faster, but for sure it's an important element that has helped me a lot. Being experienced helps you to make fewer mistakes when you are on track. This is the positive side for being around for so many years!

You need to realise that, if you want to go on, you have to work hard. If you dwell too much on your past successes and say "well, I have won nine world titles and more than 100 races", you'd rather stay home. The sport, your rivals, the tyres, your motorcycle, everything changes so instead you need to work more to be stronger. If you don't, you're finished.