Fifty years in motorcycle racing, thousands of interviews and a lifetime of extraordinary stories. Paolo Beltramo, the legendary Italian journalist and television personality, looks back on half a century of Grand Prix racing in a special interview with Moto.it.

His journey began in 1977 at the Imola 200 Miles. Soon came his first World Championship races, nights spent sleeping in tents or riders' trucks, and a paddock very different from today's, where sharing food, stories and friendship was part of everyday life.

Beltramo recalls some of racing's greatest names: Freddie Spencer, Kenny Roberts, Wayne Rainey and especially Barry Sheene, whom he remembers with particular affection. And, of course, Valentino Rossi, whose humor could turn any interview into a memorable performance. When Beltramo compared Rossi's decision to leave Honda to breaking up with the perfect girlfriend, the Doctor delivered a brilliant reply: "I just didn't get along with her parents."

But the most emotional moment comes when the conversation turns to Marco Simoncelli. "I lost one of the people I loved most in my life," Beltramo admits, recalling a deep friendship built on shared experiences, laughter and unforgettable little moments.

A journey through nostalgia, humor and genuine emotion, told by someone who didn't just report on the Motorcycle World Championship but lived its history from the inside.