Valentino Rossi might have a few concerns about his lap times ahead of the opener to the World MotoGP in Qatar on Sunday week – but not about his bank balance.
“The sacrifices are more the people in the team,” said eight-times world champion Rossi, who is the top-paid rider in the series, with annual earnings and product endorsements of about £10million, which also makes him Italy’s best-paid sportsman.
He is contracted to Yamaha until the end of the 2010 season and, though he has now turned 30 , he is determined that age is no barrier to him adding to his winning spree of 97 grand prix races.
“Every year I have to work harder – for sure I am older than my principal riders but, anyway, I am not old. I am ready physically and mentally, concentrating hard and have to find the motivation to stay at the top,” he said .
“I give a big commitment to win and, as for my future, I make a decision in 2010.
“But remember, I started my career when I was very young, so everyone thinks of me as older than I am – I believe I can be at the top for two or three more years at least.”
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