Valentino Rossi: The Doctor Series Episode 5/5 — Transcript

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1. 0:16Tavullia is where it’s all at for Valentino Rossi,
2. 0:19his childhood home is an escape from the madness of international recognition.
3. 0:29Furthermore, Tavullia serves as the epicentre for his business interests and ventures.
4. 0:37Just a short drive from the centre of Tavullia,
5. 0:39the VR|46 offices host the retail arm of the business and the workshop of the SKY Racing Moto 3 Team.
6. 0:54It is only natural that Valentino would circle back to this small town
7. 0:58and the close gathering of friends and family that have helped the letters and numbers that make up VR|46.
8. 1:06It's become much more than an emblem of a world famous motorcycle racer.
9. 1:27To many who interact with Valentino on a personal basis he is more than a rider.
10. 1:34He is the boss, and the man who they work for at his headquarters.
11. 1:49He is Vale, that’s the title.
12. 1:56As one of the highest earning sportsmen in the world,
13. 1:59Rossi has not only been able to further his business interest,
14. 2:02he has also been able to indulge in some of his passions
15. 2:05far away from the scrutiny of the racing community.
16. 2:13His clan of confidants have helped him shape his life,
17. 2:16and away from MotoGP the group effort is even more integral to his day to day existence away from the track.
18. 2:23Aside from the small matter of an international fan club,
19. 2:26and Valentino’s own restaurant, the Pizzeria Da Rossi, the imprint goes far further.
20. 2:33His company VR|46 has spawned a merchandise operation that manages the service of not only Valentino
21. 2:39but also many other riders on the MotoGP grid.
22. 2:48The history of Valentino’s merchandising is quite long of course,
23. 2:52in the beginning, we licensed it, our merchandise, to other companies.
24. 2:57Then one day in 2008 we decided to do our own merchandising.
25. 3:05Of course we started working on Valentino’s merchandising,
26. 3:08then many other riders and also factories approached us
27. 3:12and this is why now we are working with many different riders.
28. 3:22Valentino first of all believes that the merchandising is the link between the sportsman and his fans.
29. 3:30He gave us just very few rules,
30. 3:33and I remember very well the first one which was to never compromise on quality.
31. 3:39We want to give them the best quality and the best product possible.
32. 3:45The last seasons we are also trying to expand the business in different kind of sports like football.
33. 3:52Interestingly the apparel business has even grown to accommodate another Italian sporting giant:
34. 3:57the Juventus football club.
35. 4:02On the creative part he is very involved.
36. 4:07The merchandising should be the expression of the rider.
37. 4:12These business interests have also seen him extend his relationship with Monster Energy
38. 4:16to include his very own signature drink The Doctor.
39. 4:20Further, in conjunction with Dorna,
40. 4:22he starred in and helped develop a 2016 official MotoGP video game.
41. 4:37To compliment his team at the races, Rossi built another crew at home.
42. 4:42Over the years, the nine time Champion wanted to leave another kind of legacy,
43. 4:46one that would find a spiritual base at a place called The Ranch.
44. 5:02Enter a third unit:
45. 5:03a cooperation with TV broadcaster Sky Italia led to the formation of the Sky Racing VR|46 Moto3 Team in 2014.
46. 5:13The team is now a major force in the class.
47. 5:22Complimented by hand picked Italian riders from the Academy
48. 5:25who race for multiple teams in Moto2 and Moto3,
49. 5:28he now has a direct hand in researching and developing prized talent headed towards the premier MotoGP class.
50. 5:35Athletes like Romano Fenati, Andrea Migno and new teenage sensation Niccolo’ Bulega,
51. 5:41who seized his first podium finish in just his fifth grand prix
52. 5:45form the Sky Racing Team VR|46 Moto3 effort.
53. 5:49In fact, the melee of Moto3 racing will almost inevitable see Valentino’s charges run at the front.
54. 5:59The entire Academy squad are invited to train with Valentino at the ranch on each Saturday when they are not racing.
55. 6:05Come race weekend, you will often spot them sitting in a huddle with Valentino discussing tactics,
56. 6:10track insights and listening very closely to absorb his racing wisdom.
57. 6:16It started almost as a game..spontaneously you know?
58. 6:19Now it’s a proper organisation. I really care about it.
59. 6:26It was born from the relationship with these kids,
60. 6:31at the beginning a friendship, respect and desire to help.
61. 6:36And then, at a certain point, Vale asked us
62. 6:40to transform all this into something more professional.
63. 6:51We try to take advantage of what Vale taught us in those 20 years of MotoGP
64. 6:57and give those instruments to the kids and a lot of work, commitment and passion.
65. 7:22Being part of the Academy is very important to me because it’s a great opportunity.
66. 7:27Being supervised by someone like Valentino, who’s our coach,
67. 7:32I can’t imagine a better person to get advice from, and help with our career development.
68. 7:38We’re among the fortunate few.
69. 7:40He’s helping us a lot in developing our careers and our futures.
70. 7:46The Academy is a huge opportunity for the kids who are selected
71. 7:51and I don’t think there’s ever been anything like this in motorcycling.
72. 7:55First of all, having Valentino as a boss is like a dream come true.
73. 8:01He’s always been my idol, ever since I watched races as a kid.
74. 8:06He’s not just our teacher, he’s a friend.
75. 8:11For everything we can ask to the people here.
76. 8:16For the most simple thing to the most difficult.
77. 8:20Also having Vale as a boss is pretty stimulating and pretty fun.
78. 8:26He was always my idol and I never dreamed
79. 8:31that I’d be on his team one day.
80. 8:35Although this is an individual sport,
81. 8:38it’s like being part of a team.
82. 8:42They need to have their chance, this was our mission from the start.
83. 8:47We give them possibilities to be in the right path and show what they can do.
84. 8:54It is something special and unique because Vale, before the Riders Academy,
85. 8:59had, how do you say, showcased all of his experience from these years,
86. 9:06everything that defines him as a rider, only with Marco Simoncelli.
87. 9:14He was the only one that he could share with as a brother.
88. 9:19Then Vale decided to give all of this to the kids, to the riders of our academy.
89. 9:25Let’s hope one of them will become the new Valentino.
90. 9:28I think it’s impossible, but let’s hope at least for half Valentino.
91. 9:33They raised the level of competition in Valentino’s training
92. 9:37and therefore it has become something functional,
93. 9:41above all, in my opinion, the real secret of Valentino Rossi.
94. 9:47VR|46 now counts over 20 employees in Tavullia where Valentino is much more than a mere mast-head.
95. 9:54We are kind of a big family, and this is because of him.
96. 9:59I have to say, hes not a boss, hes a leader.
97. 10:02He’s very good on working with a good mood, trying to have fun
98. 10:08but always at a maximum level.
99. 10:11His influence is felt throughout the overall look and feel of the business
100. 10:14thanks to the sense of style and camaraderie with key people.
101. 10:21One of Italy’s most famous historical figures,
102. 10:24Leonardo Da Vinci once said: Art is never finished, only abandoned.
103. 10:29Valentino Rossi has been crafting his own masterpiece for most of his adult life
104. 10:33and it can certainly be considered a definitive work.
105. 10:37For Rossi though, his mastery of motorcycles
106. 10:40and then creation of the VR|46 business is only the beginning of what lies ahead.
107. 10:50Some know him as a friend, others as an entertaining hero and even more as a genius on two wheels.
108. 11:00Some call him Boss, and others may say Idol,
109. 11:04whatever the label, it is hard to dispute the assertion that as a racer
110. 11:08and a visionary he has fundamentally changed the landscape of MotoGP
111. 11:13and what it means to merit the title The Greatest,
112. 11:17and he isn’t even done yet.