Uccio Salucci shares heartwarming tale of friendship with Valentino Rossi

"I think we were one or two years old,” Salucci tells Sky of a friendship which has been scrutinised by fans, but has lasted the test of time. 

“My father and Graziano knew each other and so we started hanging out in pushchairs. 

“Then Tavullia is not large and has only one nursery, so being born in the same year we went to the only nursery there was. 

“We were in class together and from there a friendship was born.”

The two young friends both followed their fathers’ interest in motorsport.

"I didn't race when I was four-years-old because Valentino was racing in karts at the time. But when I was nine I took part in races too. 

“I remember that Stefania, Vale's mother, took us.

“We went together, even far away. Stefi was fantastic, she he took him everywhere. 

“I remember that at 6-7 years old Vale was very fast with cars, even then. 

“As a young man Vale was more passionate about F1 than motorbikes, I remember that in middle school he drew large helmets of F1 drivers in his diary during lessons. 

“He showed them to me: Alain Prost's helmet, Ayrton Senna's, he especially liked Nigel Mansell, he was a fan of his. 

“When he designed Nigel's helmet he cared a lot about it, he wanted to do it well."

Through Rossi’s run in MotoGP, an iconic sports career, Salucci was always by his side.

Rossi amassed seven premier class championships, his bank balance sky-rocketed and he crossed into becoming a mainstream figure.

"Things can change without you realising it,” Salucci remembered. 

“We came from a country, with the increase in popularity it was easy to change direction a bit.

“You go to the big cities, you have to move to Milan, Rome... 

“You know a lot of people, even famous ones, and you're a bit attracted. 

“However, we always understood that our goal was to return home, to return with our friends, that our life was on the road, but home was Tavullia. 

“In those years I understood that we would always remain us, without moving, without changing as people.”

Today, Salucci has a key role in Rossi’s VR46 MotoGP team, a squad which is enjoying a breakthrough season thanks mainly to Marco Bezzecchi’s rise.

The secret remains back home in Tavullia. 

“Yes, I'm happy. I have a wife who is the same girl I've had for 15 years, we've been married for four and we have a daughter who's 11,” Salucci said.

“Everything is perfect, I believe that emotional stability is very important, which is needed when you're always travelling the world like me. 

“It gives you balance, it allows you to go to the races with peace of mind, concentrated on what you have to do and when I'm there I think of home and relax thinking with my family. 

“But family stability helps a lot, also because when you're away you have important responsibilities and having problems at home isn't good for work.”

Today, the friendship between Salucci and Rossi has extended to the next generation.

"We saw each other a lot, I was often at his house or he was at mine,” Salucci said. 

“Now I see myself in my daughter who has a friend called Giulietta and they are always together: the best of friends.”