While Valentino Rossi has just announced his retirement, discover the motorcycles piloted in competition by the legendary “Doctor” and his 4-wheel machines.
[Mis à jour le 05/08/2021 à 17h10] MOTORCYCLES OF VALENTINO ROSSI – He is one of the most successful and popular sportsmen in his discipline. The name of Valentino Rossi is deeply rooted in the minds of motorcycle speed enthusiasts for a quarter of a century. The Italian prodigy has managed to forge an impressive track record, while staying very close to his fans, in particular thanks to his humility, his relaxation and his originality. A real tour de force, when we know that the public often tends to tire of a pilot dominating his discipline. The one who was nicknamed “The Doctor” holds one of the finest records in motorcycle Grand Prix having had the audacity to defend the colors of many different manufacturers.
The announcement of his retirement
This Thursday August 5, Valentino Rossi held an exceptional press conference from 4:15 p.m., on the sidelines of the Styrian GP in Austria, to make an important communication about his future. And the famous number 46 simply announced that he will retire at the end of this 2021 season. The legendary Italian biker will therefore put an end to his career on the evening of the Valencia Grand Prix, scheduled for November 14, at the end of his 26th season in the world championship, all categories combined. Since his beginnings in 1996, he has totaled nine world titles (in 1997 in 125 cm3, in 1999 in 250 cm3, in 2001 in 500 cm3 and from 2002 to 2005 then in 2008 and 2009 in MotoGP) and 235 podiums including 115 victories, the last one going back to the 2017 Dutch Grand Prix.
Learning express
Born February 16, 1979 in Urbino, Italy, Valentino Rossi struck hard from his first season on the world stage at the age of 17. March 31, 1996, in Malaysia, he competes for his first Grand Prix within the category 125 cm3, while on August 18, he won his first race in Brno, Czech Republic, riding an Aprilia. The following year, he continued his ascent and obtained his first world title by signing no less than 11 victories! At the higher level, and 250 cm3, the Italian continues to impress despite his tall height (1.80 m). He finished runner-up in 1998, three points behind Loris Capirossi, before styling the crown the following season with a total of 14 successes in two years.
5 consecutive titles
The 2000 season marks the arrival of Valentino Rossi in the premier class, the 500 cm3, renamed MotoGP in 2002. From the start vice-champion, he then goes on an impressive series of five consecutive world titles, two with Honda and three with Yamaha. In 2006, he lost the title in the last race in favor of the late Nicky Hayden and failed again in 2007 in a season outrageously dominated by Casey Stoner. After two blank years, Rossi gets back in the saddle by winning two new world titles. Corn in 2011, his bet to join Ducati did not pay off and the Italian is living his two least prolific seasons in MotoGP.
Back to Yamaha
Since then, “The Doctor” returns to Yamaha and finds a machine capable of playing for victory, or at least the podium, in every race. That said, he has to deal with strong Spanish competition, embodied by Jorge Lorenzo and above all, the very young Marc Marquez, with several memorable hitches on the track. Three years in a row, he has to be content with the status of vice-world champion, from 2014 to 2016. To date, Valentino Rossi has totaled 235 podiums, including 199 in the premier category, among which 115 victories including 89 in the premier class. The most recent dates back to June 25, 2017 during the Dutch Grand Prix. On the eve of fiscal year 2021, the famous number 46 is the subject of a exchange at Yamaha with Fabio Quartararo. From then on, he left his place in the factory team to the young Frenchman and regained his handlebars within the Petronas Yamaha SRT satellite team by being associated with an Italian rider with whom he accompanied the beginning of his career, Franco Morbidelli, reigning vice-world champion. Now 42 years old, “The Doctor” is fighting his 22e consecutive season in the premier category.
Rally and Formula 1
Note that it is not only on two wheels that Valentino Rossi has distinguished himself in motorsports. A rally fan, the Italian has won the Monza Rally Show, an event organized on the Autodromo Nazionale Monza. He even rubbed shoulders with the world rally championship, three times. In 2002, he was forced to retire after leaving the road in the first special in Peugeot 206 WRC. In 2006, he joined New Zealand with a Subaru Impreza WRC all black that he manages to rank 11th overall. He joined the “RAC” again, in 2008 in Ford Focus WRC, with a 12th place. Like the French rallymen Loeb and Ogier, the “Doctor” also discovered the driving an F1. Unsurprisingly, it’s driving a Ferrari that the Italian prodigy rode several times between 2004 and 2010.
Find in the slideshow at the top of the page the main motorcycles and other four-wheeled machines driven in competition by Valentino Rossi (non-exhaustive list).
More MotoGP info:
Moto GP Guide 2021: calendar, standings, drivers, teams, TV program
Moto GP 2021 calendar: dates and times of the Grand Prix
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