Valentino Rossi had an all-but-impossible task at Valencia, but he was supported in Spain once again by a yellow wave hoping for a miracle. The Number 46 was everywhere, and the color yellow was dominant among the 110,000 spectators packing the grandstands. Many yellow shirts had this message: “#IostoconValentino,” which means “I support Valentino.” Rossi’s father and mother, Graziano and Stefania, were there to support Valentino in his quest for a 10th world title. How does a father survive such a tense moment? We asked Graziano himself. CW:As a father, how did you see Valentino’s great challenge? GR: “From the last spot of the grid, it was impossible for Valentino to finish in the positions he needed to win the title. But we waited for the checkered flag. Although Valentino’s mission was almost impossible, we have a limitless trust in him that’s close to love.” CW: Valentino was leading the championship and everything was going in the right direction... GR: “Last year he worked hard in preparation for this year. From round 1, he built his championship race by race in such a wonderful way that many people say that this is the best championship of the last seasons.” CW: Did you expect the title between Rossi and Lorenzo to have been decided by a third party? GR: “I still haven’t understood this...” 
CW: What was your first thought when you saw the clash [at Sepang]? GR: “I watched the Malaysian GP from home. My first thought? Vale could only do what he did and now let’s see what will happen tomorrow. But I would never have imagined that it would have finished like that.” CW: Did Valentino lose his head, as many have written? GR: “Valentino didn’t lose his head. It would have been serious if he kicked Marc, but this didn’t happen. He did the only thing he could do: call Marquez’s attention to the fact that, while they were passing and re-passing each other, Lorenzo and Pedrosa were pulling away. From a rider point of view, it’s easy to understand: Valentino couldn’t continue to lose time due to Marc’s unmotivated passes. He called Marquez’s attention to this, but in doing this, Marc touched his brake level and crashed. This was very unlucky for Valentino. He absolutely didn’t want to make Marc crash. A rider never wants to crash.” CW: Wouldn’t it have been an option for Rossi to remain in fourth position behind Marc and wait? GR: “If you have two balls, you cannot throw them away.” CW:Do you think this story can affect your son’s motivation in the future? GR: “Motorcycle racing is at the moment the thing he enjoys most, and it’s the thing he would miss most. After Linda, his girlfriend. So I don’t think that his motivation can change.” 
CW: Where does this motivation come from? GR: “Everyone has a dream in life, a mission to accomplish, a goal. For Valentino, it’s motorcycle racing. But always after his girlfriend (I’m joking, but not too much!).” CW: What was so special about Valentino when he was a kid? GR: “He was immensely curious. But kids are like that. He really enjoyed accomplishing very difficult tasks. But kids also do that. Every kid has a talent, but sometimes they don’t know they have it, or maybe they don’t know for what they have a gift. Valentino had a big talent. Fathers make their kids play, first of all with the toys they like themselves. Valentino developed a great passion for speed. I think it’s difficult not to become passionate about the game of speed. Valentino had talent, he enjoyed racing and this became his life.” CW: Can you tell us a story about Valentino as a kid? GR: “The last time I gave him advice as the father of a rider, he was 10 years old. We were at the pocket bike circuit of Cattolica, close to Misano. Vale was leaving from the pole position and he chose to take the start from the right side of the track because the first corner was on the right. I joined him on the starting grid and I suggested that he start from the left side so that he could pass on the outside. Vale looked at me from under the visor and told me: “Dad, let’s leave it to me!” 
CW: What is the best moment of his 20-year career? GR: “Every time he leaves for a race, I hug him and he hugs me back. Throughout his career, it has happened more than 200 times now. The best moment for me is this hug. It happens only on these occasions.” CW: Where do you Valentino in 10 years? GR: “Maybe in Superbike with Yamaha! I’m joking. I see him in car racing. Or maybe playing with the VR46 Academy kids, trying to make them grow and trying to understand why he cannot beat them anymore, when they are racing at the Ranch.” 
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