Casey Stoner recalls how unique Valentino Rossi was: ‘He was fantastic, almost perfect; Many tried to imitate him, but it was forced, theatrical’

Although Valentino Rossi’s resume includes some riders who are close to him (Marc Márquez) and even superior to him (Giacomo Agostini, Angel Nieto, Mike Hailwood), the truth is that his charismatic and controversial nature also marked his career and made him stand out from the crowd. He had an impact on MotoGP that was unlike any other, and it continues to be so even today.

According to Casey Stoner, a two-time world champion, who stated in the Ducati Diaries podcast that he never attempted to emulate the Italian or take on his charisma, he is of the same opinion. He said, “I did not follow in Valentino’s footsteps.” My attempt to play the character that he had was unsuccessful. Simply said, that was him; it was his personality. For the sport, it was an amazing experience. In the manner in which he carried out everything, it was almost perfect.

On the other hand, Stoner asserts that there were those who attempted to emulate Rossi’s manner of being, but they were unsuccessful in doing so since it was not something that came naturally to them or was a characteristic of their personality:

I never made an effort to be that kind of person. As time has passed, I have witnessed a great number of individuals attempting to imitate this figure in an effort to win over Valentino’s followers. However, it is so artificial and so dramatic. In spite of this, they are cherished for it.