Valentino Rossi discovered speed by competing with everything that had wheels attached on the streets of Tavullia, playing with his friends, joking and always trying to win, with the competitiveness that has always been his trademark. As if in a game, a young Rossi arrived in the world championship in 1996, and he continued to race for the fun of it, taking his friends to races and turning the paddock into a playground for his 'Chihuahua Tribe'.
Just for the fun of it, he kept on winning, he won the titles in 125cc and 250cc, moved up to 500cc and still wanted to keep having fun, joking with his friends and with his rivals. A grudge made him leave Honda, the world's biggest manufacturer, to show that it was the rider and not the bike that was winning, and he joined Yamaha, still winning, still being world champion. Rossi left the championship after Valencia two years ago, after a quarter of a century enjoying racing and leaving a legacy that no one is likely to match.
