Two unlikely names saved Valentino Rossi in his first 500cc test
Rossi reveals how two unassuming names helped him in his first premier class test
MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi revealed that his first 500cc test in 1999 was almost a disaster had it not been for two unlikely names at the time.
Rossi signed for Honda to race in MotoGP from the 2000 campaign for what was ostensibly a satellite team, having won the 125cc and 250cc titles in 1997 and 1999.
Read more: Remembering Valentino Rossi's 'culture-changing' Yamaha MotoGP move
His first test of the NSR500 he would ride in 2000 and 2001, the last of MotoGP’s 500cc era, came at Jerez at the end of his 250cc title winning year.
Speaking with Andrea Migno’s podcast last year, Rossi’s manager agreed with Aprilia for him to use its suits in the test - but he left them at home, before also finding out that he had no helmet to use.
“The first 500cc test was beautiful,” he began.
“When I arrived to Jerez at the end of 1999, I had two Honda suits. My manager had agreed with Aprilia that I would use their suit.
“I got to Jerez with two Honda suits, brand new, but I couldn’t use them. I left the Aprilia suit at home.
“I borrowed Marcellino Lucchi’s suit. I called a friend in Tavullia and said ‘we will put you on an aeroplane, bring us the Aprilia suit!’
“I opened my bag. There were eight visors but no helmet! I already had a moment of panic because I didn’t bring the suit."
Rossi and his inner circle came up with a small lie to get themselves out of trouble.
He said: “We had a moment of genius - ‘they stole my helmet!’ So, I was saved like this. But I didn’t have a helmet.
“In my first 500cc test I wore Marcellino Lucchi’s suit, and Gregorio Lavilla’s helmet. He was a Kawasaki Superbike rider who had his own helmet.
“I said to Lavilla ‘can I borrow a helmet because mine was stolen?’
“The first time I tried the 500cc is a moment in any rider’s career you never forget. Fuck, when you give it gas…
“I remember the feel of the track was getting tighter, smaller, a nice feeling. You get used to the speed.
“On the second day, when my suit and helmet came to me, I also went fast. At Phillip Island I was also fast.”
Lucchi was active in grand prix racing from 1982 to 2004, scoring a sole victory in 1998 in the 250cc Italian Grand Prix.
Lavilla was British Superbike champion in 2005 for Ducati, and now acts as Dorna’s World Superbike executive director.
