Valentino Rossi’s quirky and superstitious pre-race habits have long intrigued fans, and now fellow MotoGP icon Randy Mamola has shed new light on some of The Doctor’s more unusual rituals.
Speaking to Motorsport.com, Mamola recalled how Rossi’s elaborate pre-race routine always stood out:
“When you watched Valentino, he had an array of things, like touching his ears before walking out of the garage. He touched his knees before stepping over the line.”
Mamola also likened Rossi’s ritual of adjusting his undergarments to tennis star Rafael Nadal’s own well-known habits, joking:
“He pulls up his underpants (or G-string maybe!). It was kind of weird.”
Another habit that stuck with Mamola was Rossi’s act of squatting down to hold the foot peg before mounting his Yamaha. As a test rider who occasionally rode Rossi’s bike, Mamola mimicked the habit himself:
“They said: ‘If you crash it we’ll kill you!’ I said: ‘This will stop me from crashing…’”
Mamola also shared a funny anecdote about superstitions in racing, recalling TT legend Mick Grant’s odd behavior:
“If he dropped his glove, he felt that he needed to ask someone else to pick it up. Every time I drop my glove, I think of how stupid Mick Grant was! And I pick it up myself!”
Whether it was psychological preparation or just a bit of fun, Rossi’s rituals added to his mystique—and clearly left a lasting impression on his peers.
