Valentino Rossi is my inspiration, tells me to stay calm on racing track: Celestino Vietti

Rome [Italy], September 2 (ANI): Italian Moto 2 racer Celestino Vietti is happy with the improvement he and his team Mooney VR46 Racing Team have shown in the ongoing Moto 2 Championship 2022.
Out of 13 Grand Prix that have happened under the Championship so far, Celestino has emerged victorious in three of them, including one in Qatar, one in Argentina and the other in Spain. He has secured podium positions in a total of five Grand Prix so far.
He is currently placed at number 3 in Championship standings with 156 points, 27 points shy of the table topper Oi Ogura of Japan, belonging to team Idemitsu Honda Team Asia.
This is in stark contrast with his performance in the previous championship, where he had finished at 12th position.
“For sure, I am happy with we could improve from last year. I am happy with my own performances too,” said Vietti in an interview with ANI.
On his journey as a racer, Vietti said that his dad was a rider as well and he started to ride a minibike when he was three years kid and then kept growing as a racer.
“I started out when I was little. My father was also a biker. I tried my first minibike when I was three years old. I started to ride at my home with his bike. And then we started to go out on the track. Step by step, we arrived to the competitions and started racing with minibikes. Year by year, I kept growing and eventually started riding in Moto 3 with Mooney VR46 and that’s where my career started,” he said.
Vietti has been with his team since the start of his Moto 3 career in 2018 and considers them a “great family”.
“I share a good relationship with everyone. I like spending time with them. I like playing video games and chatting with them when we are not participating in championships. I have had plenty of funny moments with them,” he added.
Vietti said that legendary Italian racer Valentino Rossi is his inspiration in motorcycle racing, calling him “one of the best on the track”.
He is also a product of Rossi’s VR46 academy and Vietti describes training with some of the fastest riders in the game as a “wonderful opportunity”.
“Every time you train with them, you have to take a step forward and I think this is the best part of VR46 Academy,” added Vietti.
Asked about the best advice given to him by Rossi, Vietti said that the nine-time world champion had adviced him to stay calm and cool during difficult situations on the track and not be too aggressive or emotional.
On how soon his fans can catch him in Moto GP, the top division of motorcycle racing, Vietti said, “For this year and the next, I will stay in the Moto2 championship. I hope to be in Moto GP as soon as possible.”
Indian audience can catch all from the Moto2 and MotoGP Gran Premio Gryfyn di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini Qualifying race Main Race from 16:00 Hrs (04:00 pm IST) onwards on Saturday, 3rd September 2022 and from 14:15 Hrs (02:15 pm IST) onwards on Sunday, 4th September 2022 on Eurosport India. The same will live stream on discovery+. (ANI)