Alessio Salucci, Valentino Rossi’s right arm, remembers the first meeting with Pecco Bagnaia up to the world title.
Pecco Bagnaia one step away from winning the world title of MotoGP. The last race at the Ricardo Tormo in Valencia on 6 November will be decisive in decreeing the name of the new champion, it only remains to complete this historic mission of Ducati. The Turin driver boasts 23 points ahead of Fabio Quartararo, to win the world championship throne he just needs to finish 14th or hope that the Frenchman doesn’t win.
There will also be a mentor Valentino Rossi who took the Savoyard star in his favor in 2013. Alessio Salucci, who has always been the Doctor’s right hand man and now manager of the VR46 team engaged in MotoGP, tells the story of that first meeting that took place in Brno. “We met at the Dainese truck where Pecco had gone to bring the suit“, Recalls Uccio in an interview with ‘La Gazzetta dello Sport’. “It struck me with sadness and it was not the first time I had seen him like this even though I had never spoken to him“.
Pecco Bagnaia close to the world championship
It was the beginning of his rise after having cut his teeth in the Cev and behind him a disappointing season in Moto3 with Team Italia, where he had not managed to collect even a point. In 2014 he then moved to the newborn Sky VR46 team, with fellow boxer, once again, Romano Fenati. Difficult for Pecco Bagnaia coexistence with a tough character like Fenati, “while we, through our fault, were unable to value Pecco“, Continued Alessio Salucci.
Wise the decision to move him to Mahindra where he gets his first podium in the World Championship. In 2016 the first two victories and a 4th final place in the standings that projects him into Moto2, with SKY Racing Team VR46, driving a Kalex. “We had convinced Sky to find the budget for a second bike for Pecco: with 4 podiums he was 5th final and took the title of rookie of the year“.
The first world title arrives in 2018, with a signed contract already in his pocket for the transition to MotoGP with the team Ducati Pramac. “Ducati was pressing to sign before the season, I was not convinced, I was afraid it would destabilize him“, Admitted the manager of Tavullia. But Pecco was convincing: “I know what I do, in 2019 I will move to Ducati, which is my dream as a child, but I promise that I will give 150% to win the World Championship with you. He kept his promise“.
