Valentino Rossi is one of the best MotoGP riders of all time, and his results speak for themselves. But lately, the 39 years old Italian rider is struggling to get the needed results to claim his 10th world title, but he’s still the rider Dorna uses to promote MotoGP as a business.
Bradley Smith, who up until now raced for Red Bull KTM factory team, spoke to British newspaper Telegraph about how he feels Rossi is being used by Dorna, giving the notion that Rossi is nowadays much more a marketing tool than ever before
“Rossi’s popularity is a product that we are led to believe. People like nostalgia… they forgot how it was in the past. Valentino Rossi is here for over 20 years and for many people in racing that’s a lifetime. He did a lot in the past and captured our imagination. Dorna uses him as a marketing tool, always portraying him in a positive way, and that has an effect on people who like him. He is also very good with the media, and his team also knows how to work with that”, said the British rider.
Do you think Dorna actively wants to portray Valentino Rossi as a better rider than all others in MotoGP, because that means better income for them because fans love Valentino Rossi more than other riders?
Tell us what you think about this in the comments below.
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I hope that I'm not misinterpreting his comments, though Dorna may be lost without Vale. Bradley should know that at 39 Vale is still faster than him and most of the younger riders...Many only wish they could sniff his exhaust.