Rossi’s be🦩st friend, an ever-present alongside the legendary rider in sev꧃eral different roles, was chastised as a hanger-on.

Over two decades later he is the team manager of Rossi’s VR🥀46 MotoGP team and a veteran of the paddock himself, but it wasn’t always that way.

Salucci told about the criticism he became accustomed to receiving during Rossi’s rise: "If I think about it now, I have to say that I was 19 years old at the time and people who weꦬre 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 𝓀for Vale and for this sport. 

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

“I had fun. 

“Since I was w꧒ith Valentino I became more f🌟amous. 

“I was annoyed that many people said: 'parasite' but the othe⭕rs were the assistant. Why couldn't I be one too? No, I was a..."

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

Even after Rossi’s r𝓰etirement, and through Salucci’s changing jobs, they remain tight.

"I've always under🙈stood th𒀰at I'm a lucky person from an early age, as a boy, and this has been one of my strong points,” he reflected. 

“However, i💖f once I got to the races I hadn't worked well, hadn't done things as I should, I would have been stayed home immediately. 

“I♚f when Vale arrived he had found the mo🐭torhome 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 did good for Vale and this sport.&nb꧋sp;

“And then it must be s𒆙aid that we ꦯhave given work to a lot of people. I was the first employee, now there are almost 100 of us, actually 98 or 99, I think.”

Salucci’s c🦩loseness to his friend enabled him to speak to Rossi differently to anybody else.

"When you experience certain emotions together, good or bad, for so🌱 many ye൲ars together you are forced to unite,” he said. 

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

“These are th🧔ings that give you strength and security, they gave it to both me and him. 

“It made me very happy to see that he o🔜ften listened to me. 

“Outside൩ the GPs I remember that we placed our suitcases in our houses and after two minutes we already spok♔e on the phone. 

“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!”