25 Years of Valentino Rossi
A look at the incredible career of “The Doctor” thus far
These pages attempt to cover the long and illustrious career of the man whose name is now synonymous with the highest level of motorcycle racing. In 2021, Valentino Rossi and his hallowed racing number “46” migrate to another team. Another year and another challenge for the man who has spent a quarter of a century doing what he does best: race motorcycles
1996-1997: Aprilia RS125
A 16-year-old Italian lined up for his first race in the big league astride an Aprilia RS125 from the Scuderia AGV Aprilia team. Although he was earning a name for himself as a youngster who crashed a lot, Valentino Rossi put a cork in the mouths of those who said so by winning a grand prix in his first season at Brno on 18 August 1996. That was his only win during the season and he spent the rest of it blazing around the track, trying to find the limits, and he did find them in a spectacular fashion.
The next season, young Rossi was back on the blacktop, astride the Aprilia, but this time riding for the Nastro Azzurro Aprilia team, a relationship he would continue until he left for the 500-class. Whew, what a season that was! Rossi flicked the switch for the '97 season and channelled his aggression and talent into a whirlwind that swept through the year and made him a world champion. Out of the 15 starts that year, Rossi won 11 and finished on the podium twice more with a total of 321 points.
1998-1999: Aprilia RS250
Rossi levelled up to the 250-class with the same Aprilia team and his first season was a roller-coaster. Of the 14 races that year, Rossi won five and was on the podium another four times. Of his five victories that year, four were scored backto-back in the final stages of the season when his form was at its peak but it was not enough to win him the championship and he had to settle for second place.
Thankfully, he carried his spectacular form from the previous year into his final season racing 250s. That year, he won nine out of 16 races and laid claim to the title of world champion. That splendid effort also earned him another title; that of the youngest champion in history (20 years old and 250 days).
When the opportunity presented itself, Rossi decided to move up to the highest class of motorcycle racing the following season with a new manufacturer and team. By then, he was already on the way to becoming an icon. His victory celebrations, wild-and-free attitude, and sheer speed were winning over hearts worldwide, making him a favourite among fans and sponsors alike.
2000-2001: Honda NSR500
With the great Mick Doohan out of action, Rossi was supplied with an asgood-as-factory Honda NSR500 ride in the Nastro Azzurro Honda colours. However, I would say that his greatest asset that year was having Jeremy Burgess (Doohan's chief engineer) in his garage along with some stellar mentorship provided by the legendary Australian rider. Rubbing shoulders with the big names in the world of racing, Rossi made a remarkable début in the premier class, scoring two wins from 16 starts and as many as eight more podium finishes. He finished second in the championship, making a strong case for himself as a force to be reckoned with for the following season.
The next season, Rossi was unbeatable on his Honda NSR500. The yellowleather-clad figure appeared on the top spot of the podium 11 times out of 16 with two more appearances on other steps of the podium. He achieved the world title in only his second year in the class, making him the last world champion on two-stroke machinery. By that time, Rossi's post-race celebrations had given him his own cult-like fan following and along with it came the chance to race for the most coveted team in the championship: the Repsol Honda Team.
2002-2003: Honda RC211V
Rossi appeared in factory Honda colours for the first time ever and he also retained most of his crew with him. Considering that the new four-stroke RC211V was nothing like the manic NSR500 he had ridden thus far, not many foresaw Rossi dominate the championship as he did that year; he took home his fourth world title. It came as a consequence of an avalanche of victories: 11 from 16 starts and he only missed the podium once.
If his competitors thought Rossi was strong the previous season, they had not seen anything yet. The feisty Italian appeared on the podium for all the races he started that year; that is, 16 in all, including nine victories. He also scored 357 points; two more than his previous season's total. This was the year when Rossi received a 10-second penalty during the race for passing under a yellow flag at Phillip Island. He stunned the world by winning that race with a 15-second lead and then announced that it was the first time he had ridden a race at 100 per cent. This was also the last time the Italian champion rode a Honda race machine.
2004-2010: Yamaha YZR-M1
This was the year that changed it all. Rossi famously fell out with the Factory Honda Team and signed for the Yamaha factory outfit (Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha), a team that was struggling at the time. The YZR-M1 was not a machine to be reckoned with then and not one rider had won back-to-back on different machines yet.
Having won the last race of 2003 and the championship astride the Honda RC211V, Rossi returned in 2004 sporting blue Yamaha leathers and snatched the victory in the first race of the season (Welkom), away from Max Biaggi and the fire-breathing RC211V. That was the beginning of Rossi's iconic love affair with his beloved M1. The video showing Rossi parking his M1 against the tyre wall and shedding tears of joy after winning the race continues to be watched with great interest even today. Not a great day for the Honda team and not a great year either because Rossi won the championship again; nine wins from 16 starts.
The year 2005 was another amazing season for Rossi. He was already the defending champion on new machinery against all odds and to make things worse for his rivals, he only got better. That year, he claimed his seventh world
title (his fifth consecutive one) with a whopping 367 points.
In 2006, Rossi's wardrobe began to match his personal choice of colour thanks to the Camel Yamaha Team. Although he won five of his 17 race starts and appeared on the podium five more times, Nicky Hayden sneaked away with the world title, leaving Rossi in second place and putting an end to his championship-winning streak.
The following season, the iconic blue leathers returned thanks to the new FIAT Yamaha Team and Rossi was back on the hunt once again, locked in an intense duel with Casey Stoner. Ultimately, Stoner walked away with the world title that year and Rossi had to be content with third place.
In 2008, Rossi made sure that his intentions were clear from the first race. He won half the races he started that year and had an additional seven podium appearances, earning a total of 373 points (career best). Oh, yes, he won the world championship again.
The following season, Rossi claimed the world title for the ninth time. This result came after winning six out of 17 races but that was the last time we saw Rossi's name on the world championship trophy. He spent one more season with the Yamaha squad and finished the year in third place. Then he made what may have been the biggest mistake of his career.
2011-2012: Ducati Desmosedici GP
A world-class Italian rider piloting a Ducati. What a sight that would be! The dream team. Rossi signed with the factory Ducati team for two seasons but the good fortune that followed him to Yamaha appeared to have deserted him now. The firebreathing Desmosedici evidently had more joy tossing Rossi into the air than on to the podium and thus followed two of the most difficult years of his career.
The years that he spent wearing red leathers were among the worst in his 25-year career. The man who was used to winning and popping champagne did not win once in those two years nor did he appear in pole position. He only had three podium places in all, once in 2011 and twice in 2012. After such a disappointing couple of seasons, Rossi threw in the towel and decided to return to familiar ground.
2013-2020: Yamaha YZR-M1
The man and his M1 were reunited and a six-year-long friendship was forged anew. Once again, Rossi's return was not as biblical as his first appearance on the M1 in 2004. This time, he finished the season with a total of six podium finishes, including a win out of 18 race starts. Better than the past couple of seasons, sure, but only good enough for a fourth place overall.
The 2014 season was better because Rossi finished on the podium more consistently (13 out of 18) and even racked up two victories but the world title continued to elude him. He finished the year in second place.
The year 2015 was Rossi's best chance at winning that 10th title but it was a season full of controversy. Rossi led the championship throughout the year, fighting closely with teammate Jorge Lorenzo. After Lorenzo's crash at Misano, Rossi was the favourite for the world title but things became unsavoury in Sepang. Rossi and Marc Marquez were involved in an aggressive on-track duel and the Italian ended up retaliating strongly, sending the defending champion crashing to the ground. Although strongly contested by both sides, Race Control ruled against Rossi and he was punished with a backof-the-grid start for the season finale in Valencia. Though Rossi powered through the pack, he could only finish in fourth place
and that was not enough to reel in the 10th title. Lorenzo claimed the world championship by five points. That was a crushing blow to Rossi and his fans alike.
Although Rossi finished the 2016 season in second place, it was evident that the title was out of his reach after he crashed at Motegi. Rossi's form was far from competent for a world title in 2017 and he ended the season with only one win at the Dutch GP. That was also the last time he won a race. Thus far, that is.
The 2018 season did not live up to the Rossi camp's expectations either because he appeared on the podium only six times out of 17 without a win although he did manage to finish the year in third place. However, things became worse for the veteran racer who was now reaching 40 years of age. The 2019 and 2020 seasons were quite similar to his disastrous outing with Ducati. In those two years, Rossi took a total of three podiums and no wins. On track, he had to battle poor form and technical difficulties while off track he had to handle complications caused by the coronavirus pandemic and deal with multiple rumours of his retirement. 2020 was also Rossi's worst year so far. For the first time ever, he finished outside the top 10 in the championship standings.
Finally, towards the middle of 2020, Rossi and the Yamaha factory team decided to part ways, leaving room for younger talent (Fabio Quartararo). Thankfully, this is not the end of the road for Rossi and his M1. We will see “The Doctor” and his M1 in a refreshed avatar as part of the Petronas satellite Yamaha team thanks to a one-year contract. Will this be the man's last year in international racing? He announced that he would need five to six races to decide. Let us keep our fingers crossed.