“I try to have a different relationship with the bike. I don’t give it a name, but I always speak with it. I don’t know if the other riders do the same. This is not only a piece of metal – there is a soul. The bike talks back too. But not with a voice, with the components.”

The tragic incident of Luis Salom reminds us that our sport, our passion, is dangerous. We know it but, in a way, we don’t think about it.

I like physical exercise. I actually like sports in general. I really like snowboarding and playing soccer, too.

Once the races begin it’s more difficult and there is never that much time for testing.

I’m Valentino Rossi. And I want to be a person, not an icon.

Also, when I started racing he knew a lot of people and it was more easy for me to find the first bike, so I have a good chance for sure.

The work that we do during the winter is very important; we have a new bike and it’s important to develop it during this time.

Fortunately during my career I have won more or less everything, so I need to enjoy it to have the right motivation.

In 2002 the Yamaha was at more or less the same level as the Honda, better in some ways, worse in others. But in the winter of last year between 2002 and 2003, Honda made a big step forward and it seemed as if Yamaha couldn’t quite match that improvement.

Barcelona is a special track. I have always loved the layout of the circuit, but also the atmosphere and the fans are special. It has always been good fun.

I am still here because I like to prove myself. I still like to ride the bike on track and enjoy the races. I still have good reasons to be in racing after so many years.

I am focused on racing. I enjoy it. It’s a great feeling to be back fighting for the title.

I have designs I like applied to my helmet, motorcycle, riding suits, gloves,and boots. I have a designer friend of mine put the designs on them for me. I think a livery on the helmet is significant in expressing a rider’s personality.

To be a great motorbike racer, the most important thing is passion for the bike.

I was lucky. My father raced bikes. He gave me the passion very early. I had my first bike when I was three or four years old.

But I could also start F1 or rallying. I love rallying much more.

I don’t like being famous – it is like a prison. And driving for Ferrari would make it far worse.

I stared because their faces, so different, so similar, were all devastatingly, inhumanly beautiful.

Depression – it falls into that small category of things like combat that, if you haven’t been in it, you can say you can imagine it all you like. But it’s truly different.

Indeed, man has two different beings inside him. What devil thought of that malicious touch?

I know my flavor’s going to work because I just know there’s not a lot of guys like me around. So you got to figure out what’s that about you.

People imagine that actors are being offered everything and you are not. So things come in and sometimes there are things that I want and can’t get a meeting on, or go to a different actors.

Who knows whether it is not true that phosphorus and mind are not the same thing?

I love women. I actually prefer girls, as a parent, because they disappoint at a different age. They go through that, “Dad’s an idiot,” which lasted a little longer than I’d like.

It’s about pursuing it rather than waiting to see what comes along. That’s partly because I found myself getting typecast, as everyone does unless they pursue roles that are very different from what they’ve done before.