Valentino Rossi is without a doubt one of the most iconic Grand Prix racers of all time, be it on two wheels or four. He’s won the MotoGP crown a total of seven times, which is the exact number of titles that Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher have in Formula 1.
The way he dominated during his prime is still the stuff of legend. The man was unstoppable and would often not even need the quickest bike on the grid to get things done. He was just THAT much better than everybody else.
He’s leaving MotoGP following seven World Championships (9 if you count 125 cc and 250 cc titles), a total of 89 wins and 199 podiums. Throughout his 25-year professional career, he’s raced for the following manufacturers: Aprilia (1996-97 in 125 cc and 1998-99 in 250 cc), Honda (2000-2003), Yamaha (2004-2010), Ducati (2011-2012) and Yamaha again from 2013 until the present day.
The man known as “The Doctor” officially announced his retirement a few months back, stating that the 2021 season will be his last in MotoGP. That would make this weekend's Valencian Grand Prix his last-ever race.
“I said I would take a decision for next year after the summer break, and I decided to stop at the end of the season. Unfortunately, this will be my last half season as a MotoGP rider. And it's difficult, it's a very sad moment because it's difficult to say it and know that next year I will not race with a motorcycle, I've done that for I think more or less 30 years,” stated the Italian rider at the time.
He went on to say: “I had a very long career and fortunately I won a lot of races, but I have some moments and victories that are unforgettable. Pure joy. Some things where I laughed for a week and after 10 days I'd still be laughing, wonder why and remember the race.”
Even though he hasn’t won a title since 2009 and is only the sixth most successful rider from the 2010s (in terms of wins), there’s still no bigger name in modern-day MotoGP than that of Valentino Rossi, and all we can say is Grazie Dottore for all the memories.
Sergiu got to experience both American and European car "scenes" at an early age (his father drove a Ford Fiesta XR2 supermini in the 80s). After spending over 15 years at local and international auto publications, he's starting to appreciate comfort behind the wheel more than raw power and acceleration. Full profile
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