After 25 years
MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi says “Ciao!” and swaps two for four wheels
Valentino Rossi (Mr) and his team say goodbye. His fame was not damaged when the great successes failed to materialize.
© Jose Jordan / AFP
At the age of 42, motorcycle legend Valentino Rossi stepped down from racing on two wheels. The Italian wins the world championship nine times. He shapes the sport like no other.
An era has come to an end, a great man in motorcycling says goodbye. Valentino Rossi ended his long two-wheeler career at the MotoGP season finale. In Valencia, Spain, the horsepower legend started at a Grand Prix for the last time and came in tenth. After crossing the finish line, the fans celebrated him with fireworks and standing ovations.
With 432 starts, 89 wins and 199 podiums in MotoGP, Rossi is the record holder. From 1996 to 2021, the Italian took part in 26 world championships and won nine titles during this period. Rossi prevailed seven times in the premier MotoGP class. “I’ve become something of an icon, and that’s wonderful,” he said with pride, but also with sadness in his voice. The Frenchman Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha) had already secured the world title two races earlier.
Rossi was denied title number ten
The now 42-year-old caused a sensation when he switched from Honda to Yamaha at the end of 2003 and risked a lot. But the poker worked: Rossi continued his streak of success. The first title win with Yamaha is one of the greatest successes for the man with starting number 46. “The motorcycle is in my bedroom today,” said the Italian, who made himself immortal with his fans. For years, the color yellow dominated the grandstands of the World Cup races.
His fame was not damaged when the great successes failed to materialize. In 2009 he was able to prevail in the overall standings for the last time. The team’s internal rivalry with Jorge Lorenzo resulted in Rossi leaving Yamaha at the end of the 2010 season. He signed with the Italian Ducati stable for 2011 and 2012. But the dream of the home fans remained unfulfilled after two years without a title or victories. After that, Rossi returned to Yamaha.
He had his tenth world title in mind in 2015, but it slipped away from the racing driver, who is not only one of the most popular athletes in his home country. A maneuver in a duel with Marc Marquez at the Malaysian Grand Prix cost him the triumph. That loss resulted in a fierce rivalry with Marquez. The Spaniard was on track to break the Rossi records in MotoGP.
“Of course I would have liked to have had the tenth world title,” said “Dottore” Rossi, as he is known because of his meticulousness, and added: “My last title was in 2009 and it felt like a lifetime ago. The tenth title would have been a nice round finish. But I can’t complain. “
Rossi gets into the GT and rally car
Rossi no longer drives himself, but takes care of the young Italian drivers. Meanwhile, three of his protégés have made it into MotoGP and won races.
After saying goodbye to two-wheelers, he devotes himself to his second passion: racing on four wheels. The charismatic Italian has successfully participated in GT and rally races in recent years. In January Rossi will start a 12-hour race in a Ferrari 488 GT3 in Abu Dhabi. Then it should be decided which races he will drive in the course of the year. Fundamental changes are also on the horizon in private life. Friend Francesca is pregnant and is expecting a daughter at the beginning of the new year.
