Valentino Rossi – Pilot Sheet

Valentino Rossi was born on February 16, 1979, in Urbino, Italy. The son of Graziano Rossi, a former motorcycle racer, he was immersed in the world of motorsports from a young age. He began competing on minibikes before quickly climbing the ranks of the Italian championship.

In 1996, he made his world championship debut in the 125cc class with Aprilia. The following year, he won his first world title. In 1998, he moved up to the 250cc class, still with Aprilia, and won a second title in 1999.

In 2000, he joined the premier class, then called 500cc, with Honda. After a year of apprenticeship, he won his first 500cc title in 2001, becoming one of the youngest world champions in the class. With the move to MotoGP in 2002, he continued to dominate with Honda, winning two more titles in 2002 and 2003.

In 2004, Rossi took a risky gamble by leaving Honda for Yamaha, a struggling brand at the time. In his first season, he established himself and won another world title. He repeated the feat in 2005. After two more complicated years, he returned to the top by winning two more championships in 2008 and 2009.

In 2011, he tried his hand at a new adventure with Ducati, but the results did not live up to expectations. In 2013, he returned to Yamaha, where he regained competitiveness and finished runner-up in the world championship on several occasions, notably in 2014, 2015, and 2016.

Over the years, Valentino Rossi has become a true legend of motorcycle racing thanks to his charisma, spectacular riding style, and memorable duels with riders like Casey Stoner, Jorge Lorenzo, and Marc Márquez. He is also known for his eccentric celebrations and his nickname, "The Doctor."

After more than 25 years of racing, he announced his retirement at the end of the 2021 season. He now devotes himself to his VR46 team in MotoGP and competes in motor racing. His legacy remains immense and he is considered one of the greatest riders in the history of motorcycling.

His record is exceptional with a total of nine world champion titles, including seven in the premier class: