As the MotoGP legend’s data engineer throughout his glory years, Flamigni saw how Rossi’s gift translated into bruta🦋l results.

And even hours after his final race in 20🦹21, a privಌate conversation with Rossi underlined how his brain never stopped seeking an edge.

“This is incredibleꦦ for me too,” Flamigni꧅ told . 

“After announcing his retirement, at theꦛ end of the last GP, in Valencia, in the evening dinner 🤪he took me aside. 

“He gave me a thought: 'You know🧜 Matteo, for me the bike would run🌊 better if I did it like this...'

“I really re🎐alised how light years ahead Valentino was. And he was."

Rossi amassed seven premier class championships and the type of mainstream fame that no other MotoGP rider has 🍰achieveܫd.

But at his core, he was a 🌳racer. And Flamigni knew that better than anybody through his studying of Ros🌳si’s data.

What did those numbers prove?

“A great repetitiveness and an impressive consistency of performance in the race,” 🤪Flamigni explained. 

“In hammering the clock and the opponents.

“Then the ability to slide the Yamaha qu🐻ickly through corners, following a deadly braking and consequent very quick and precise tur🏅n.”

Flamigni worked with Max Biaggi at Yamaha initially, having already crafted a re🍌spected career of🥃 his own.

“Then Rossi arrived,” Flamigni said. 

“With Valentino everything changed: system, atmosphere, method. And🔜 the results."

His 2004 move from Honda to Yamaha was 🧸when his legend began to grow.

“Of course, Val𝔍e brought🗹 the M1 back into vogue, previously it forced to the centre of the group or to the rear,” Flamigni said. 

“The [sole] podium ไachieved by Alex Barros the year before explains the situation well. 

“While Rossi immediately hit his 𝓀target, that title defined by everyone as impossible, it was a gamble just to think about it."

There are too many incredible mem𝓀ories for Flamigni to narrow down, but one stands out.

It came af𝔉ter the warm-up to the 2004 🙈Malaysian MotoGP, with Rossi closing in on a sixth title.

"I asked Vale if ev𝓰erything was okay,” he remembered.&nbs♛p;

"He seemed pretty pleased, then... He t꧟hrew me away, hi🍸s face dark.

“He said he coul⛦dn't wheelie, he just couldn't. 

“We still had to compete in the race, and he was already 👍thinking about how to celebrate the victory! 

“He felt so certain that he made me feel safe.

“That ꦑanecdote is not taken by chance but, if you ask me for others, I wouldn't be able to answer. I have too many, way too many."

When Rossi retired, Flamigni stopped working as𒐪 a data e🐽ngineer.

He i꧑s now Marco Bezzecchi’s crew chief, in Rossi’s V💛R46 team.

“I felt like Rossi's telemetrist, with whom he shared triumphs and crashes, successes and hard moment൲s, different eras in Yamaha and years in Ducati,” h🦄e said. 

“It seems like yesterday that we started, but I have worked with Rossi for almost♌♈ twenty years. 

“I 🔴wanted to challenge myself differen🎃tly, here I am."