By Laura Thomson

He's a seven-time MotoGP World Champion so you’d think Rossi’s pre-race routine would be fairly straightforward, rig🔯ht? Wrong.

In an interview with I🎉talian TV show Che Tempo Che Fa on RAI, the 39-year-old has revealed the ‘romantic’ measures he takes before each race, in order to keep on top of his ಞgame.

But the object of affection isn’t his model girlfriend. Instead, the Yamaha rider likes to spend the run-up to the race whispering sweet nothin🎃gs to his motorcycle.

"I keep all the Yamahas with which I have won world titles,”🧸 he revealed.

“Before each race I spend around 40 minutes around the bike, I speak to it,ꦰ almost like were are on a date.”

And despite the big 4-0 fast approaching, Ross☂i shows ⛦no sign of slowing down.

"February 16, I turn 40? Need🏅less to say, I woul🦂d never have thought of racing that long,” he said.

“But I never asked myself if I would race until I was 🧸40 because it was always my 🅰dream to be a motorcycle racer.

“Maybe others will do it in the future, but the important t🅷hing is to remain competitive.

“When I signed in March 2018 I thought that the two-year contract would lead me to run at age 40, and the tho🔯ught of doing it was there.

“I am ಞconvinced, 🥃if we can improve the bike we can be strong.”

Rossi will be on track for the💛 first time in 2019 during official testing at Se♈pang in Malaysia from February 6-8.