“Weird” Valentino Rossi habit pointed out by another MotoGP legend

One of Valentino Rossi’s strangest traits has been recalled by a fellow MotoGP legend.

Randy Mamola was a 13-time premier class race winner who finished as the championship runner-up on four occasions.

But he crossed paths with Rossi when he stayed on, after retiring from racing, a test rider.

Mamola was asked about the weirdest pre-race rituals in MotoGP and immediately The Doctor sprung to mind.

“When you watched Valentino, he had an array of things, like touching his ears before walking out of the garage,” Mamola told Motorsport.com.

“He touched his knees before stepping over the line.

“He did what Rafa Nadal does - he pulls up his underpants (or G-string maybe!) It was kind of weird.

“The funny thing is: I used to say to Dorna ‘why are you filming this every weekend?’

“‘Because it’s Rossi’.

“Yes, but one time is enough per weekend.

“I believe this was one of the most incredible ones.

“Remember he used to hold the foot peg before he got on the bike?

“When I tested the bikes in Valencia at the end of the year, every time I rode the Yamaha of Valentino, I squatted down and held the foot peg.

“They said: ‘If you crash it we’ll kill you!’

“I said: ‘This will stop me from crashing…’

“This was always funny.”

Superstitions in MotoGP

Mamola was also considering the oddest superstitions he had encountered in racing.

Immediately the name of Mick Grant - a seven-time Isle of Man TT race winner - popped up.

“There was a rider called Mick Grant,” Mamola smiled. “This was funny…

“There was a British magazine talking about superstitions. Mick was a great character, a great rider.

“When getting dressed, if he dropped his glove, he felt that he needed to ask someone else to pick it up.

“Every time I drop my glove, when I get dressed, I think of how stupid Mick Grant was! And I pick it up myself!”