[Eshan Joshi]

Spanning 26 seasons, Rossi is one of the most decorated competitors in world motorsport, the Italian winning a record-equalling seven premier class title and nine overall across MotoGP, 250cc and 125cc.

From 414 starts, Rossi has taken 115 grand prix victories, with 89 of those coming in the premier class, while his total podium haul stands at 235 as of the 2021 Dutch TT.

After losing his factory Yamaha slot for 2021, Rossi elected to continue his career into this season with backing from Yamaha at Petronas SRT – but the campaign has so far been his worst ever, the Italian scoring just 19 points from the first nine races.

As a result, retirement has looked a certainty since the summer break – though the possibility of him racing his own VR46 Ducati in 2022 did appear, after it emerged the title sponsorship between the team and Saudi oil giant Aramco doesn't exist.

On Thursday at the Styrian GP – at the venue where Rossi took his first grand prix podium in the 125cc class back in 1996 – the Italian legend announced his retirement from MotoGP.

"Ciao to everybody, I feel a bit moved. Embarrassing here, I need a table minimum," he said.

"I said during the season I'd take my decision for next year after the summer break. I decided to stop at the end of the season so unfortunately this will be the last season as a MotoGP rider.

"It's difficult, it's a very sad moment because it's difficult to say and to know that next year I will not race with motorcycles. I've done this for more or less 30 years so next year my life will change after some point of view.

"But anyway, it was great, I enjoyed it very much, it's a long, long journey and it was really, really fun.

"It's 25 or 26 years in the world championship. It was great and I had an unforgettable moment with all my team, with all the guys that work for me.

"So I don't have a lot to say, just this."

For More:
https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/ne...otogp/6642490/



This man is a Legend. He is Moto GP. His rivalry with Biaggi , Stoner ,Lorenzo and Marquez will be remembered . An end of an era. Kinda makes me sad. Happy retirement doc.

[Shreyans_Jain]

Rossi’s best years coincided with the Michael Schumacher - Ross Brown era of Ferrari. Both were pretty much untouchable at that time. Schumacher called it a day so many years back… decades back. Rossi still races on. Talk about longevity.

[BlackPearl]

End of an era or maybe several eras! I am fortunate to have seen him racing in 2008 at the peak of his form in Indianapolis and he had won that race as well. His retirement was imminent and it was stretched a bit, if not quite a bit. But he will be missed. Hope he stays around the circuit with a team of his own.

[Eshan Joshi]

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain

Rossi’s best years coincided with the Michael Schumacher - Ross Brown era of Ferrari. Both were pretty much untouchable at that time.

Crazy thing is that Rossi was just 0.7 seconds slower than Schumacher during a test run with Ferrari in 2004. Ferrari also offered him a drive in F1. Just crazy.

[Rachit.K.Dogra]

I think a good decision. I am sure it would be painful for him to not be in a fighting position.

What a legendary career it has been and yes, his longevity in the sport spanning many generation changes of machinery has been truly legendary!!

He will surely be missed as a racer, although I am glad he will be sticking around.

One good thing is, with the current crop of riders, I am sure the racing will be as exciting as ever.


Rachit

[five46]

On Thursday at the Styrian GP – at the venue where Rossi took his first grand prix podium in the 125cc class back in 1996 – the Italian legend announced his retirement from MotoGP.

Spanning 26 seasons, Rossi is one of the most decorated competitors in world motorsport, the Italian winning a record-equalling seven premier class title and nine overall across MotoGP, 250cc and 125cc.

From 414 starts, Rossi has taken 115 grand prix victories, with 89 of those coming in the premier class, while his total podium haul stands at 235 as of the 2021 Dutch TT.

After losing his factory Yamaha slot for 2021, Rossi elected to continue his career into this season with backing from Yamaha at Petronas SRT – but the campaign has so far been his worst ever, the Italian scoring just 19 points from the first nine races.

As a result, retirement has looked a certainty since the summer break.

The 41-year-old made his grand prix debut in the 125cc class in 1996 and was champion in the division the following year before stepping up to the 250cc class in 1998 and winning the title in 1999.

For 2000 Rossi was signed by Honda to a factory-backed satellite NSR500 and dominated the 2001 campaign to win the first of his seven premier class titles.

For the new four-stroke MotoGP era in 2002 Rossi rode for the Repsol Honda team, winning the title in 2002 and 2003 before making a shock switch to Yamaha for 2004 after his relationship with HRC soured.

Yamaha hadn’t won a grand prix throughout 2003, but Rossi took the revamped M1 to victory in his first race on the bike in South Africa after a duel with Max Biaggi and would go on to win the title.

Rossi was champion again in 2005, but difficult campaigns in 2006 and 2007 saw him cede the title to Honda’s Nicky Hayden and Ducati’s Casey Stoner.

Rossi added two more titles to his tally in 2008 and 2009, but the tide was turning at Yamaha and the arrival of Jorge Lorenzo in 2008 led to escalating tensions.

The Italian’s 2010 title hopes vanished when he broke his leg during practice for the Italian GP, with Lorenzo going on to win the championship.

Rossi made a big-money move to Ducati for 2011, but scored just three podiums across disastrous 2011/2012 campaigns and returned to Yamaha in 2013.

Returning to winning ways at Assen that year, Rossi won twice in 2014 and was runner-up in the championship before mounting a charge for the 2015 title in a bitter battle with Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo.

After accusing Marc Marquez of conspiring with Lorenzo to sabotage his title hopes in Australia, Rossi’s championship aspirations fell apart in Malaysia when a controversial incident with Marquez netted him a back-of-the-grid start for the Valencia finale.

Rossi fought through to fourth but Lorenzo was crowned champion. This marked a turning point in Rossi’s career, his tally of wins shrinking from four in 2015 to just two in 2016 and one in 2017.

And since the 2017 Dutch TT, Rossi has been winless in MotoGP, while his podium haul shrunk from five in 2018 to two in 2019, one in 2020 and so far none this season.

Rossi’s larger-than-life personality and his famous rivalries with the likes of Biaggi, Sete Gibernau, Casey Stoner and Lorenzo, helped propel MotoGP into the mainstream.

Having famously flirted with a switch to Formula 1 in the 2000s and taken part in a number of car events, Rossi has previously expressed a desire to race GT3 machinery after his MotoGP career and potentially compete in the Le Mans 24 Hours.

The official retirement statement:

"I said during the season I’d take my decision for next year after the summer break. I decided to stop at the end of the season, so unfortunately this will be the last season as a MotoGP rider," Rossi said in a press conference ahead of the Styrian GP to announce his decision.

"It’s difficult, it’s a very sad moment because it’s difficult to say and to know that next year I will not race with motorcycles. I’ve done this for more or less 30 years so next year my life will change.

"But anyway, it was great, I enjoyed it very much, it’s a long, long journey and it was really, really fun.

"It’s 25 or 26 years in the world championship. It was great and I had an unforgettable moment with all my team, with all the guys that work for me. So I don’t have a lot to say, just this."

The entire motorcycle racing community sees this as and end of an era and the internet has started to dish out emotional messages on The Doctor. Here are a few of those:

Giacomo Agostini

Rossi, an emotionless retirement, I cried for three days.

I used to be anticipating it, once I heard concerning the press convention, I knew he was going to retire. I didn’t really feel that he was emotional about it, I believe he determined it a couple of days in the past and had already metabolized the emotion.

Fabio Quartararo

It’s difficult to believe because you know he was already two time World Champion and I was still not born, and we are still racing with him and imagine that next year he will not be racing. It is kind of sad you know, he’s really the guy that makes me want to be a MotoGP rider. When I was a kid watching him, waiting hours in front of the hospitality to get the picture and then for me, yes, he’s the legend of the sport, he made an amazing career and I think that he’s a legend, still my idol and yeah I have no words to describe him.

Maverick Viñales

He was my point of reference when I was a kid. You know when I started to love that passion of motorcycle was, especially when I start to see Valentino with his celebration the way he win the races, so at the end, as a kid I grew up I had the opportunity to share the team with him, and for sure to be internally sharing the data, sharing comments everything and you know I had the chance to learn, this is the most important. Valentino is more than an icon more than a legend, my idol. He’s the point of reference since I was three years old now and yeah, it’s sad. We need to say thank you to him because he grew MotoGP a lot and also was an inspiration for me so in the end you know as I said I was very lucky to share the team with him for many years and also you know sometimes they fight against him, other times to enjoy the time with him and was a very enjoyable time. I remember Malaysia, Indonesia, these long events where we could talk a little bit more outside of the bikes. For me what it remains also is that outside of the bike he’s always a great person and I think as Joan said, he is the point of the bikes. We need to be very thankful to him

Dani Pedrosa

It’s sad, it’s something you never want to happen and especially when you’re on a high level like he has been for so long. Like in my case, it’s a sad day but it’s something you can’t stop… sooner or later it happens for everyone, but in his case it’s more special because of so many good memories with him. Personally I can only have huge respect because he was here before me, I tried to catch him, we battled for many years, I’d say in our prime, and then I retired and I see him still going! So huge respect, and I wish him the best in his retirement.

Forza Vale! Your absence on the racing grid will be felt.

[RedTerrano]

Originally Posted by Eshan Joshi

Crazy thing is that Rossi was just 0.7 seconds slower than Schumacher during a test run with Ferrari in 2004. Ferrari also offered him a drive in F1. Just crazy.

Found this video detailing that mind boggling feat

https://youtu.be/iCo900pUIPI

I think considering Rossi's talent, he would have made an excellent horse jockey as well!
Sad to see an era end, but privileged to have enjoyed it first hand.

Grazie Don Rossi for bringing us much joy and excitement.

[GTO]

Salute to Rossi for the legendary skill & all the entertainment. On track and off it . In many ways, Rossi was to MotoGP what Schumy was to F1. There will be no other #46

Lorenzo put up a classy post

End of an era. On the track the 4 of us were just as fast, but in terms of charisma and transcendence @valeyellow46 is at the level of Jordan, Woods, Ali or Senna.

He is the only MotoGP driver whose book I have read twice! Highly recommend this to any car guy.

[saikarthik]

I am a die hard MM93 fan. But like no one can resist the Doc, I too idolize him as the best in motoGP history. He inspired almost everyone who is on the track today.

I will never forget few moments and competitive riding at the best with Stoner, Marq and (Biaggi - but they where replays for me). His ability to push himself above his age limit (for others - not for him) and keep his skill updated to compete with new generation of riders was unparalleled. Every time a new kid comes with a flair, vigor and a different riding skill, Doc would have gauged it in a couple of races and comes up with his own improved skill/strategy.

Even for people outside motorsports knowledge, VR46 rings a bell. You can see a lot of wannabe riders on road having their VR46 stickers on their bikes, such is the impact.

Stoner vs Rossi - Laguna Seca was my most memorable moment when it comes to the Doc's exhilarating races. And of course all the races with MM93 when they were competing for the championship.

[mayankk]

This is not unexpected, but heartbreaking nonetheless. This man has been the fulcrum of the emotions of MotoGP/ motorcycle racing fans for a, wait for it, quarter of a century.
It doesn't matter whether you hate him or love him, he made the sport interesting for everyone. I tuned in to see his trademark last 5 lap magic, others tuned in to curse his ass to hell and back, but he kept people involved. He gave joy to his fans by winning, and joy to the rest when he fumbled, or lost to others, even underdogs at times.
That first race with the M1, and the reaction after that win, tell me if there has ever been a more organic relationship between man and machine ever since or before?
The Ducati years were supposed to be a magical partnership, but unfortunately they took away two years from him that could have seen him get the coveted 10th title. Had that happened, I am sure he would have retired by 2014-2015.
By the time he came back to the Yamaha, he was already in slight decline, and while he was aggressive in his own time, the newer guys were much more aggressive, and I do believe that Marquez got under his skin and in his head in a big way. 2016 was his last competitive year.
However, you only have to look at the grandstand in the background of Lorenzo or Marquez, or any other rider, even today, to see how much of a draw he still is. The sea of yellow is testament to that.
I doubt there will ever be any rider ever to have the charisma of the GOAT of MotoGP, and I will miss him terribly on track.

[SnS_12]

#46 Rossi was born in 1979 and his father a racer himself took his first 250cc Grand Prix win at Rijeka, Yugoslavia. Number 46 is the same that his father used during his own motorcycle racing career. Rossi actually had the right to use motorbike number 1, because he was 9 times the world champion.

in 2008 his win at Twin Ring Motegi was his first MotoGP victory at the track, becoming the first Yamaha rider to win at the Honda-owned circuit.

In 2018, Valentino Rossi completed the 40,075th km of racing on Lap 15, which is equivalent to a lap around the world. The Circuito de Jerez Àngel Nieto saw him to complete almost 8,800 laps and travel the circumference of the earth. Laps in consideration were only race laps and didn't include practice laps.

Being faster than David Coulthard and Mark Webber in a F1 car but car rally was is other passion in the world of racing. In 2005, he won the Monza rally with a Subaru Impreza car.

A true legend to compete and win at the peak of two strokes and four strokes motorcycle racing.

[svsantosh]

This guy is the Rajnikanth (or Amitabh, Kamal, Rajkumar; you get it) of motor sports.

During teens he raced on the same track with legends who were at their top of their game in late 80s and early 90s...

During his 20s he raced with peers who have retired well before this day

During his 30's he raced with kids who grew up watching him during their childhood

Today he races amongst kids whose parents may not have met each other during early 90s

What a Legend!!!

[krishnaprasadgg]

I was part of the group over the last year who did strongly feel he should retire from the sport even though I am also one of a very die-hard(not blind fan though) fan of his.

And while the news was not surprising when it broke it did hit in a very very different manner. I became a religious follower of the sport after watching him race.

Since then I have had this dream to watch a race in person and I feel really lucky that I got to watch him race in 2019 in San Marino which is his home grandprix and that too sitting in the Rossi Grandstand. I can't imagine the pre-race days in Tavulia to be anything like it was up until now. I feel extremely lucky to have experienced all that.

I feel over everything that we will never get to experience would be the environment that the Rossi grandstand used to hold and will hold till the last race this season.

In many ways, Rossi carried the sport single-handedly even though a lot of other legends shared the limelight with him during the time like Pedrosa, Lorenzo, Stoner, Hayden, and so on.

I Will miss him in the races for sure, but he is opening up the way to a lot more epic talents(via his academy) that MotoGP will never be boring even though he won't be riding in it anymore, also a relief that we can see him around for many more years to come.

Cheers
Krishna

[fz_rider]

Well, Vale could have continued for as many years as he liked, such is his value to the sport. He hasn't been at the top of his game for past few years, yet he pulls crowd like no other.

Although it has been fun to watch all these years, I always felt he should've given a try at Formula 1, when the opportunity presented. Rossi driving a Ferrari would've been epic.

[Emvi]

Although it's a sad news that Rossi is retiring, ironically I am happy that he is. I am one of the biggest Rossi fans and it is really hurting to see him perform the way he is since last few years. I would have loved to see him retire in his prime, which unfortunately is not going to happen. I have been following him since he began his racing career in 125cc class as a teenager. IIRC, he has won world championships in only his second year of participation in each and every class he has entered- 125cc, 250cc and 500cc. His post race victory lap antics, wheelies and burnouts were an absolute treat to watch. He is quite a character and in his younger days he used to sport different funky hairdos every other race or so. IMO he is the most charismatic moto racer ever. I believe he was and still is one of the most likeable characters on the racing grid. The fluorescent yellow "46" is probably the most famous and recognizable racing bike number in the world. Although I was following moto racing much before Rossi entered the scene, he along with Schumacher were the ones who always kept me glued to television on race weekends. To be honest, I have stopped following MotoGP these days primarily due to Rossi's downfall. Valentino, you are not only a world champion, you are one of the greatest entertainers the world has ever seen. Thanks a ton Doc!













Image source- Google search. All credit goes to their respective owners.