Photo: Petronas Yamaha Sepang Racing Team
Valentino Rossi has announced his retirement from MotoGP at the end of the 2021 season. The nine-time World Champion will end his quarter-century career in racing on two wheels. Rossi decided upon his retirement during the summer break, and he announced his decision during a special press conference held at the 2021 Grand Prix of Styria.
The 42-year-old Italian racer described the moment as difficult and sad, but he has noted that he has raced motorcycles for "more or less 30 years." The champ described his career as a "long journey" that was "really fun," and he thanked all fellow racers, staff, and collaborators. Fortunately for VR 46 fans worldwide, everyone can still see him race for the remainder of the 2021 MotoGP season.
In his 25-year MotoGP career, Valentino Rossi managed a record 89 victories in the premier class, as well as 115 Grand Prix wins and a record-setting 235 podiums. He started his career back in 1996 and has 65 poles and 96 fastest race laps. The Italian racer is the only rider to win consecutive races with different manufacturers, a feat he achieved after winning the 2003 season finale at Valencia on a Repsol Honda, then winning the 2004 season opener at Welkom in South Africa on the factory Yamaha R1.
Currently, Valentino Rossi is 19th overall in the championship, with 17 points, and this will be his 26th championship in MotoGP, marking another record. Sadly, it does not look like the Italian has a chance at another championship title, as his last win was in 2017 at Assen, while his best result so far is 10th place at Mugello this year. Rossi finished the 2020 season in 15th place in the championship after missing races because of Covid-19.
Rossi's career is so long that he managed to race all noteworthy riders of the top tier of the sport in the last 20 years. You may recall names like Max Biaggi, Casey Stoner, Jorge Lorenzo, and Marc Marquez, the latter being just three years old when Valentino started racing.
Valentino Rossi has a racing team, called Aramco Racing Team VR46, which will be on the MotoGP grid in 2022. So, the good news is that The Doctor will be in the paddock next year, but not in his racing leathers. Valentino also announced that he also likes racing cars, and he is considering racing on four wheels, but he does not think he will race at the same level on four wheels, which is more than reasonable.
Via MotoGP
In his 25-year MotoGP career, Valentino Rossi managed a record 89 victories in the premier class, as well as 115 Grand Prix wins and a record-setting 235 podiums. He started his career back in 1996 and has 65 poles and 96 fastest race laps. The Italian racer is the only rider to win consecutive races with different manufacturers, a feat he achieved after winning the 2003 season finale at Valencia on a Repsol Honda, then winning the 2004 season opener at Welkom in South Africa on the factory Yamaha R1.
Currently, Valentino Rossi is 19th overall in the championship, with 17 points, and this will be his 26th championship in MotoGP, marking another record. Sadly, it does not look like the Italian has a chance at another championship title, as his last win was in 2017 at Assen, while his best result so far is 10th place at Mugello this year. Rossi finished the 2020 season in 15th place in the championship after missing races because of Covid-19.
Rossi's career is so long that he managed to race all noteworthy riders of the top tier of the sport in the last 20 years. You may recall names like Max Biaggi, Casey Stoner, Jorge Lorenzo, and Marc Marquez, the latter being just three years old when Valentino started racing.
Valentino Rossi has a racing team, called Aramco Racing Team VR46, which will be on the MotoGP grid in 2022. So, the good news is that The Doctor will be in the paddock next year, but not in his racing leathers. Valentino also announced that he also likes racing cars, and he is considering racing on four wheels, but he does not think he will race at the same level on four wheels, which is more than reasonable.
Via MotoGP
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