Rossi MotoGP champion
Added on Sunday, September 28th, 2008 by Carole Nash Editor | No Comments
Rossi MotoGP champion
Valentino Rossi could hardly have chosen the venue for his historic MotoGP race and championship win better, even if he’d had it scripted in Hollywood. The Doctor’s win at Motegi, at Honda’s own racetrack, sealed his victory in the 2008 MotoGP championship. It’s Rossi’s sixth world title in the premier class.
Rossi is undoubtedly a serious contender for consideration for the title of the best ever premier class motorcycle racer in history. Before coming to the top class Rossi had already taken the world title in both the 125 and 250 GP classes. He has a unique combination of championship wins on 500, 990 and 800cc rules and now he holds a total of eight world titles. It’s worth remembering that this record breaking athlete is still only 29!
His race win at Motogi was his 70th, itself extending another record. Rossi had already surpassed Giacomo Agostini as the rider with the all-time most wins in the top class when he took his 69th win at Indianapolis. Rossi’s debut victory for Yamaha, at the opening race of 2004 in South Africa, made him the first rider in history to take back-to-back wins for different manufacturers. After winning the MotoGP World Championship three times with Honda the factory failed to retain the Doctor’s services for the 2004 season. Rossi took himself and his chief engineer Jeremy Burgess to Yamaha. He won his fourth premier-class title with Yamaha in his debut year there and became the only rider other than Eddie Lawson to win consecutive premier-class titles for different manufacturers.
Rossi hasn’t just won races in his career, he’s also won hearts. His crazy after-race antics, complete with chicken suits and fireworks, and his likeable character have made him an easy favourite with the fans. He’s an international sporting superstar and his smiling face beams out from advertisement posters everywhere in his home country of Italy. He eventually moved to London because he was mobbed every time he left home in Italy.
Rossi stopped on the cool down lap at Motegi to pull on the traditional celebratory T-shirt. The slogan printed in Italian on the shirt translated as “Sorry for the delay”, a reference to his two years without a championship in 2006 and 2007.
“I grew up a lot in the last two years,” explained Rossi. “At the end of 2005 I had a great career and I had won all the important targets so far. 125, 250 and then five titles in a row in MotoGP with two different bikes – I felt unbeatable. But in 2006 and 2007 I learnt to lose and this has been very important. I came out much stronger and my level of concentration and effort to win this championship has been higher than ever before.”
Valentino Rossi will defend his title on the Yamaha again in 2009 as he sets his sights on Agostini’s record of eight premier class titles.
No Comments