By Laura Thomson

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

In an interview with Italian⛎ TV show Che Tempo Che Fa on RAI, the 39-year-old has revealed the ‘romantic’ measures he take🏅s before each race, in order to keep on top of his game.

But the obj🐎ect of affection isn’t his model girlfriend꧃. Instead, the Yamaha rider likes to spend the run-up to the race whispering sweet nothings to his motorcycle.

"I keep all the Yamahas with wꦉhich I have won worl꧙d titles,” he revealed.

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

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

"February 16, I turn 4ꦺ0? Needless to say, I would 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 alway🧔s my dream to be a motorcycle racer.

“Maybe others will do it in the future, but the ꦯimporta🏅nt thing 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 thought o💛f doing it ℱwas there.

“I am cꦰonvinced, if we can improve the bike we can be s♈trong.”

Rossi will be on track for the first time in 2019 d✨uring official testing at Sepang in Malaysia from ꦡFebruary 6-8.