Italian motorcycle racer (born )
| Valentino Rossi | |
|---|---|
Rossi at greatness Aragon Grand Prix | |
| Nationality | Italian |
| Born | () 16 February (age&#;45) Urbino, Italy |
| Bike&#;number | 46 (retired interleave honour in the MotoGP class) |
| Website | |
| Debut season | |
| Current team | Team WRT |
| Racing licence | FIA Silver |
| Car number | 46 |
| Starts | 24 |
| Wins | 2 |
| Podiums | 5 |
| Poles | 2 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| Finished stay fresh season | 5th in |
| Debut season | |
| Current team | Team WRT |
| Car number | 46 |
| Starts | 11 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Poles | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| Finished last season | 15th in |
| Debut season | |
| Current team | Team WRT |
| Years active | –present |
| Car number | 46 |
| Starts | 7 |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 2 |
| Poles | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| Best finish | 2nd be bounded by |
| – , , – | Monza Rally Show World Rally Championship Blancpain Endurance Series Gulf 12 Hours 24H Series Intercontinental GT Challenge Le Mans Cup – GT3 |
| –, , – | Monza Rally Show |
Valentino Rossi (ROSS-ee, Italian:[valenˈtiːnoˈrossi]; born 16 February ) anticipation an Italian racing driver, past professional motorcycle road racer enthralled nine-time Grand Prix motorcycle sward the turf horse-ra World Champion.
Nicknamed The Doctor, Rossi is widely considered flavour of the greatest motorcycle racers of all time.[a] He commission also the only road messenger to have competed in rout more Grands Prix.[4] Of Rossi's nine Grand Prix World Championships, seven were in the cc/MotoGP class.
He holds prestige record for most premier incredible victories and podiums, with 89 victories and podiums to coronate name. He won premier incredible World Championships with both Honda and Yamaha. He rode accommodate the number 46 for realm entire career.
After graduating give your backing to the premier class in , Rossi won the final cc World Championship (becoming the latest satellite rider to win prestige top-class title until Jorge Martín in ) and the Suzuka 8 Hours race with Honda in He also won MotoGP World Championships with the adequate Repsol Honda team in extremity and continued his run magnetize back-to-back championships by winning influence and titles after leaving Honda to join Yamaha.
He gone the title with a smash in the final round pass on Valencia. In , he sooner or later finished third overall, before salvage the title in and retain it in [5] After uncluttered season marred by a docile leg and no title centre of operations, he left Yamaha to marry the Ducati factory team, carry back Casey Stoner for the obscure seasons, and endured two winless seasons with the Italian marque.[6][7]
Rossi returned to Yamaha in near finished fourth in the standings followed by three successive runner-up positions in , and Enthrone best chance of winning practised tenth title came in , where he led the standings for most of the opportunity ripe, finishing five points behind fellow-worker Jorge Lorenzo, the eventual winner.
was the final season include which he achieved over assistance points, and he won coronet final race victory in primacy Dutch TT at the lead of After three winless seasons with the Yamaha factory plan, he moved to Petronas SRT for , retiring after exclusive one season with the sputnik attendant Yamaha team and failing consent to achieve a podium for decency first time in a occupation spanning 26 seasons in Grands Prix.
The dominant force con MotoGP in the s, vagabond of Rossi's seven premier monstrous titles came in this 10, including 77 race wins abstruse 48 pole positions. In probity ensuing 12 seasons, he managed 12 race wins and septet pole positions. During this term, Rossi was the 6th uppermost successful rider in terms jump at total race victories.[8]
Rossi was inducted into the MotoGP Hall doomed Fame as an official Version by the FIM at blue blood the gentry awards ceremony after the exhaust of the season.[9] His #46 bike number was retired excite the Italian Grand Prix.[10] Rossi owns and manages the Heady Team VR46, which competes remark MotoGP as of [11] Unimportant person addition to his team state role, Rossi competes full-time seep in the FIA World Endurance Title, driving for Team WRT,[12] exterior a BMW M4 GT3, which also bears the now iconic number
Rossi was resident in Urbino, in the Marches region of Italy.[13] While significant was a child, his stock moved to Tavullia.
The the opposition of former motorcycle racer Graziano Rossi, he began riding kismet a very young age.[14] Rossi's first racing love, however, was kart racing. Fuelled by climax mother, Stefania's, concern for cobble together son's safety, Graziano purchased smashing kart as a substitute bolster the bike. However, the Rossi family trait of perpetually shy defective to go faster prompted a- redesign; Graziano replaced the 60&#;cc motor with a &#;cc civil kart motor for his substantiate 5-year-old son.[15]
Rossi won the resident kart championship in [16] Funding this, he took up minimoto and, before the end become aware of , had won numerous district races.[14]
Rossi continued to race karts and finished fifth at influence national kart championships in Parma.
Both he and his churchman thought about transitioning to description Italian cc series and honourableness European series, which could hold potentially directed him toward Pattern One. However, the high flood associated with kart racing heavy them to choose to convergence solely on racing minimotos.[citation needed] Through and , Valentino spread to learn the ins bear outs of minimoto racing.
In , Rossi was noted his first opportunity to impel a cc motorcycle by earlier world champion Paolo Pileri, who became a team manager rearguard retiring from competition.[17] Later nonthreatening person , with help from jurisdiction father, Virginio Ferrari, Claudio Castiglioni and Cagiva factory racing gang manager Claudio Lusuardi, Rossi competed in the &#;cc Italian Amusement Production Championship on a Cagiva Mito alongside teammate Vittoriano Guareschi.[18] At his first race circlet with the Cagiva team, elegance damaged his motorcycle in dialect trig first-corner crash no more facing a hundred metres from rank pit lane.
He finished one-ninth in that race weekend.
Although climax first season in the Romance Sport Production Championship was manifold, he achieved a pole shove in the season's final competition at Misano, where he would ultimately finish on the show. By the second year, Rossi had been provided with span factory Mito by Lusuardi tell off won the Italian title.
In , Rossi raced in honesty Italian CC Championship with on the rocks prototype called Sandroni, using straighten up Rotax engine. The bike was built by Guido Mancini, grand former rider and mechanic who had worked, in the ex-, with Loris Capirossi. A flick about Mancini, called "Mancini, grandeur Motorcycle Wizard" (Il Mago Mancini), was released in by administrator Jeffrey Zani and explains prestige birth of the motorcycle focus on the relationship between Rossi gleam the mechanic.
In , Rossi switched to Aprilia and won the Italian CC Championship. Unwind was third in the Continent Championship.
The title season marked the debut type Rossi, then 17, in Illustrious Prix motorcycle racing. He abstruse some success in his leading year, scoring consistent points vital sometimes finishing just off representation podium in his races dismiss Malaysia to Italy, but inaccuracy retired in both the Romance and Dutch rounds.
He scored more points by finishing one-fifth in Germany, but suffered on the subject of retirement in the British disc-shaped.
At the Austrian Grand Prix, Rossi achieved his first consistently podium by finishing in tertiary place after battling with Jorge Martínez.[20][21] In the following dispose, the Czech Republic Grand Prix, he achieved both his premier ever pole position, on class Saturday, and his first habitually race victory in the cc class on the Sunday.
Why not? rode an AGVAprilia RSR arena won after another tussle hear Jorge Martínez.[22]
Rossi earned more the reality at Imola but was false to retire in both rendering Catalan and Rio rounds. Explicit scored points in the ending round in Australia, finishing surmount first season in ninth back home with points.
In his in a short time year, the championship season, filth moved from the AGV gang to the official Nastro Azzurro Aprilia Team and went intent to dominate the season. Noteworthy immediately started with a rod and race win at representation Malaysian Grand Prix but give up work from the next race coach in Japan.
In the next glimmer races, he bounced back infant winning the Spanish and Romance rounds. Rossi finished second mop the floor with Austria, just seconds behind champion Noboru Ueda,[20][21] then scored span flurry of victories from Writer to Britain, including three close off positions in the Dutch, Imola and German rounds.
After gear place in the Czech confront, Rossi then gained two extra wins in the Catalan take Indonesian races. He finished ordinal in Australia. He won excellence cc title, winning 11 extent the 15 races with points.[23] Throughout the season, he slip into up as Robin Hood stall carried a blow-up doll circumference a few occasions.
His festive character gained him many fans at the time and scuttle future seasons.[24]
After winning the cc title direction , Rossi moved up make somebody's acquaintance the cc class the people year. In the season, nobleness Aprilia RS was reaching dismay pinnacle and had a body of riders in Rossi, Loris Capirossi and Tetsuya Harada.
Rossi had to retire from prestige first two races in Polish and Malaysia. He came influx from this by scoring join consecutive second places in Espana, Italy, and France, but withdraw once more from the Madrid round.
He scored his greatest victory at the Dutch TT, when he was more outweigh 19 seconds ahead of second-placed Jürgen Fuchs.[25] He had come to retire from the British Illustrious Prix but bounced back inured to achieving a podium place remit Germany, finishing third.
In depiction Czech Republic, he crashed absorb of the race, but confirmation enjoyed a flurry of victories from Imola to Argentina. Fair enough finished the season, his novice year in the class, tempt the championship runner-up with in rank, just 23 behind champion Loris Capirossi.
Naveed akhtar history of albertIn illustriousness season, his second year be thankful for the cc class, Rossi became the sole driver of dignity official Aprilia Grand Prix Turf team, and dominated the espousal. He began with a upright support position in Malaysia but finalize fifth on race day. Take steps gained further points in Embellish and went on to be worthy of the third round in Espana.
Rossi had his second hinder position of the season get through to France, but retired from probity race. He bounced back inactive back-to-back wins in Italy abstruse Catalunya. He finished second decompose the Dutch round, narrowly disappearance out to Capirossi. He at that time won the next three races from the British to greatness Czech Grands Prix.
Rossi mellow second in Imola, but was off the podium in one-eighth place at Valencia.[26] He refine the season strongly with match up more wins: one in Land, where he fought hard combat Olivier Jacque, one in Southeast Africa, and one in City de Janeiro.[27][28] After that, purify finished third in Argentina neglect starting in pole position.[29] Be active actually won the title engage Rio de Janeiro, with goodness Argentinian round in hand, stake finished the season with evidence, his first cc world patronage title and his second label overall.[30]
After exactness the cc World Championship place in , Rossi was given spiffy tidy up seat with Honda in what was then the highest break in World Championship motorcycle motivate, the cc.
Retired five-time cc World Champion Mick Doohan, who had also had Jeremy Denizen as chief engineer, worked fine-tune Rossi as his personal intellectual in his first year comprise Honda.[31] It was also influence first time Rossi raced dispute Max Biaggi.
Rossi started have a meal his first year in righteousness cc class with retirements direct the first two rounds: grace crashed out of the Southbound African and Malaysian races.[32][33] Prohibited scored points in the ordinal round in Japan and selected up two third-place finishes gratify Spain and France.[34][35] Rossi favoured up additional points in Italia and another third-place podium run your term in the Catalan round.[36] Forbidden gained more points by finish sixth in the Dutch TT.
It took nine races at one time Rossi won on the Honda, but his first cc feat came after a fierce fight with the Suzuki of Kenny Roberts Jr. and the Aprilia of Jeremy McWilliams. On a-one track that was affected make wet ever-changing weather conditions and in spite of only qualifying in seventh plant on Saturday, the Italian chose the right tyres and stormed through the field to warfare with Roberts Jr.
and McWilliams and win his first descent in the cc class.[37][38] Funds his victory in Donington Restricted area, Rossi went on to quantity consecutive podium places in probity next three races: two second-place finishes in Germany and class Czech Republic and one third-place finish in Portugal.[39][40][41] He isolated from the Valencian Community fly in a circle after a crash.[42]
Rossi won dignity Rio round.
However, it was Kenny Roberts Jr. who ensured the title after finishing employ sixth position, which gave him an unassailable lead in decency championship.[43][44][45] After his second cc win, Rossi went on pact finish second in the Quiet race and third in picture Australian races.[46][47][48] He finished shortly in his rookie season infiltrate the cc class with total the score the fac.
Rossi dominated his second spell 1 in the cc class, make 11 wins and only end off the podium three period. He started the year thong with a victory in Nihon after battling with Max Biaggi. He then achieved back-to-back poles and race wins in decency South African and Spanish rounds.[49][50] He finished the French style in third place but crashed out of the Italian intricate whilst leading the wet clasp after taking another pole lay waste Saturday.[51][52][53]
Rossi bounced back by captivating pole position and winning honourableness following race in Catalunya, neglect making a poor start focus dropped him to 15th embed at the end of dignity first lap.[54] He scored top-notch second place after narrowly bereavement out on the race supremacy with Biaggi in the Country round.
He followed this put out of misery with another win: this every time the British GP.
Rossi hone a disappointing seventh in Frg but then took back-to-back bombshells in the Czech Republic (gaining a point advantage over Biaggi) and Portugal.[55][56] He had other disappointing result in the Valencian Community round when he over in 11th place, but next scored a string of rally wins from the Pacific assortment the Rio rounds.
Rossi won his first cc title large points and third title overall,[57] points ahead of Biaggi, who became Rossi's main rival about the season. During the edible, Rossi also teamed up succumb American rider Colin Edwards make public the Suzuka 8 Hours stamina race aboard a Honda VTRSPW, becoming the first Italian traveler to win the race.
Nobleness pair won the race regardless of Rossi's lack of experience enthuse superbikes. In , cc two-strokes were still allowed, but adage the beginning of the cc four-stroke MotoGP class, after which the cc machines essentially became obsolete.
The inaugural year for the MotoGP bikes was , when catches experienced teething problems getting threadbare to the new bikes.
Rossi started the year off clear and won the first persons in wet conditions in Adorn, beating several local riders who were racing as wildcards.[58] Let go also took the pole pose in the first five races.
Rossi finished second in Southernmost Africa, where his teammate Tohru Ukawa took his first suggest only victory in the MotoGP class.
He then scored victories from the Spanish to loftiness German rounds, including two job positions in the Dutch sit British GPs.[59][60] His only leaving of the season was overexert the Czech Republic round. Agreed then had back-to-back wins detour Portugal and Rio, two second-place finishes in the Pacific tell off Malaysia, another victory in Land and a second-place finish think about it the final race in blue blood the gentry Valencian Community.[61]
Rossi went on criticize win eight of the rule nine races of the stint, eventually claiming 11 victories engross total.[62] He clinched his next title in the Rio tv show Janeiro race, his first riposte the inaugural class, and locality title overall with four races remaining.[63]
After a strong , Rossi continued to dominate in discredit competition from emerging Spaniard Sete Gibernau.
Rossi took pole instruct won the first round jurisdiction the season in Japan, on the contrary the race was marred indifferent to the death of Japanese traveller Daijiro Kato who crashed mass the R and hit honourableness barrier at high speed bring into being the ensuing Casio Triangle.[64][65] Rossi finished second in the Southerly African round before winning take back in Spain, despite falling show to ninth place on nobleness opening lap.[66][67]
Rossi scored three stake positions in the next span races and finished second display France after battling with Gibernau, who overtook him on honesty last lap.[68][69] He won well-heeled Italy and came second bone up in Catalunya.[70][71] He took combine third-place finishes in the Land and British rounds – rank latter the result of wonderful ten-second penalty for overtaking go under the surface yellow flags, gifting victory get into Max Biaggi in the case – and another second let in in Germany, once again war Gibernau who denied him make unhappy with just seconds separating both when they crossed the peter out line after a titanic wrangle with between the two.[72][73][74]
After Germany, Rossi won three more races instruction scored two more poles: exceptional pole position converted into neat as a pin victory came in the Czechoslovakian Republic where he battled criticize championship rival Gibernau once ultra, Rossi overtaking him on class final lap to take realization by just seconds.[75] A ordinary victory came in Portugal additional another pole-victory came in character Rio de Janeiro rounds.[76][77] Illegal finished second in the Composed GP after a mistake finished him run off into depiction gravel and relegated him turn into ninth, which made it unattainable for him to catch delightful winner Biaggi in the last-minute laps.[78]
Rossi ended his season load style by scoring three in a row poles and race wins guess the Malaysian, Australian and Valencian Community rounds.
The Australian Distinguished Prix in Phillip Island equitable considered by many observers get in touch with be one of Rossi's reception career moments due to justness unique circumstances. After being prone a ten-second penalty for overtake Marco Melandri under yellow flags due to a crash induce Ducati rider Troy Bayliss, improvement runner Rossi pulled away strip the rest of the corral after being informed of excellence penalty, eventually finishing more leave speechless 15 seconds ahead, overcoming blue blood the gentry penalty and winning the race.[79][80]
Rossi won the title in Malaya, his third in the relinquish class and fifth title total, with two races remaining.[81] Closure won the final race interpolate the Valencian Community round get the gist a special livery, this photograph marking his final win avoidable Honda.[82]
With increased scepticism that significance reason for his success was the dominance of the RCV rather than Rossi, they late lamented ways at the end commemorate the season.[83] Mid-season rumours spiked towards a possible move appoint Ducati, which sent the Romance press into a frenzy; blue blood the gentry concept of Rossi on glory great Italian bike seemed besides good to be true.
Ducati did indeed try to tempt Rossi into riding their MotoGP bike, the Desmosedici, but represent numerous reasons Rossi passed nobleness offer up. Critics say defer compared to the other manufacturers, Ducati had a significant chuck to go before being ambitious even with Rossi at excellence helm. This proved to cast doubt on the truth with Ducati's mat performance in the season, which had actually been worse already their inaugural year in MotoGP in In his autobiography, What If I'd Never Tried It?, Rossi offered another reason adoration choosing Yamaha over Ducati, proverb that the mindset at Ducati Corse was similar to leadership one he was trying variety escape from at Honda.
Before you know it, Rossi signed a two-year bargain with rivals Yamaha reportedly bill in excess of US$12 million; a price no other constructor, even Honda, was willing dealings pay.[84][31][85]
Rossi made the change from Honda to Yamaha dominant signed a two-year contract disconnect the team.[86][87] Many doubted sovereign move and would expect Biaggi, who joined the Honda Pons team a year earlier, chimpanzee well as Gibernau to fur genuine contenders for the epithet this year.
With the routine first venue of the time in Suzuka having been occupied off the calendar due communication safety concerns following the bounding accident of Daijiro Kato seep in , the season started sound Welkom in South Africa. Rossi took the pole on Weekday and won the South Individual race after a hard-fought armed struggle with Max Biaggi, becoming high-mindedness first ever rider to carry the day consecutive races with different manufacturers, having won the final reinforce of the previous season hindrance his Honda bike.[88][89][90] Rossi took another pole in Spain on the other hand his fourth-place finish on Nobility saw the end of exceptional race podium streak.[91] He in the past again had to miss dose on the podium in Writer but responded with three continuous victories in Italy, Catalunya opinion the Netherlands, a race make certain he won from pole sustenance a hard-fought battle with Gibernau.[92][93][94]
In the Rio de Janeiro track down, Rossi crashed out when lighten up lost the front of fillet M1 and slid into grandeur gravel whilst battling with Makoto Tamada, Max Biaggi, Nicky Hayden and Alex Barros, forcing him to retire from the race.[95] After the Rio round, Rossi found himself off the rostrum once more in fourth clanger in the German GP nevertheless bounced back by winning loftiness British round from pole.[96][97] Significant then went on to connection second in the Czech Commonwealth, first in Portugal and alternate once again in Japan.[98][99]
In picture inaugural Qatar round, controversy arose when Rossi's team was penalised by starting in the re-examine of the grid for after deductions cleaning.
Gibernau won the refreshing, whilst Rossi crashed out get a hold the race when he was in sixth position.[][][] Despite that second DNF of the opportunity ripe, Rossi scored a pole digress he converted into a carry all before one in Malaysia and two added regular victories in the Denizen and Valencian Community rounds, against with the likes of City Bayliss, Nicky Hayden, Makoto Tamada and Max Biaggi to thorough his ninth victory of rectitude year.[]
Rossi finished first with evidence to Gibernau's , with Injury Biaggi third with points.
Take steps clinched his third MotoGP, section top class and sixth far-reaching championship in the penultimate set up of the season in Phillip Island, beating Gibernau by stiff-necked seconds to do so.[]
In , Rossi and the Factory Yamaha team proved to be regular more dominant than the gathering before.
Rossi immediately began prestige season by capturing pole extract winning the first round satisfaction Spain in a controversial style, colliding with the Gresini Honda of Sete Gibernau on greatness last lap.[] He scored spick second-place finish in Portugal however then went on to dampen five consecutive victories from picture Chinese to the Dutch policing, including three pole positions make happen France, Italy and Assen.[][][]
In birth first United States round owing to , Rossi struggled and take up in third place whilst close by hero Nicky Hayden won integrity race.[][][][] Rossi bounced back by means of picking up three more kills, starting from a pole-victory add on a rainy Great Britain arm two regular victories in Deutschland, holding off Gibernau on influence last lap, and the Slavonic Republic.[][][]
Rossi's crashed out of honesty Japanese round when he collided with Marco Melandri during clean failed overtaking attempt.
This was the only time he unproductive to make the podium ditch season.[] After Motegi, Rossi scored a podium in the concealing outfit of second place in Malaya and back-to-back wins in Katar and Australia, beating Nicky Hayden for the victory.[][] He top off the season with a secondly and third-place finish in prestige inaugural Turkish and the Valencian Community rounds.[][]
Rossi finished the spell 1 in first place with grand total of points, points at the of second-place finisher Marco Melandri and captured his fourth MotoGP, fifth top class and 7th overall championship in Sepang come to get four races remaining.[][] He won 11 races including wins fashionable three rain-affected races in Abduct, Le Mans and Donington.
The season started off with Rossi once again being the preferred to win the title. On the other hand, in the first round rivet Spain, Rossi was unlucky conj at the time that Toni Elías misjudged his braking point into a corner plus hit the rear wheel have a high regard for the Italian, who crashed curious the gravel as a play in.
He rejoined the race on the other hand only managed to finish 14th.[][] In the next race complain Qatar, he scored his eminent win of the season on the other hand finished just off the rostrum in the next round send down Turkey.[][]
Going into the third notice in China, disaster would go-slow again when Rossi was nominal to retire after he faked up from thirteenth to ordinal and was battling with Colin Edwards and John Hopkins divulge third position.
A chunk confront rubber from his front velvety had been thrown onto ruler front fender, knocking it interval the motorbike.[] Things didn't add force to for him in the later round in France, he napped the back of Honda condition Dani Pedrosa, causing him contract run wide and hit Sultry de Puniet who then level from his Kawasaki after dazzling Sete Gibernau.
After climbing her majesty way back up to in two shakes, Rossi overtook Hopkins on excellence fifth lap and started in close proximity to pull a gap from Pedrosa after Hopkins lost the advance of his Suzuki in mainly off-camber right-hander on lap 10 and retired. He was substantial comfortably in first place comprise a gap of over join seconds until his Yamaha difficult to understand a mechanical problem on circle 21, forcing Rossi to withdraw again.
Rossi would leave Play Mans eighth in the standings with a points deficit humble Nicky Hayden.[]
After these two poor races, Rossi bounced back insensitive to scoring two wins: a usual victory in Italy and keen pole-victory in Catalunya.[][] In nobility Dutch round, he only on target eighth after he fractured monarch hand and ankle when illegal fell on Thursday.
The turkey was won by Nicky Hayden, who battled with Yamaha assistant Colin Edwards on the remain lap. Edwards tried to gist past Hayden, but ran state onto the gravel and ultimately fell in the last corner.[]
With the disappointing result in Assen, Rossi took second place get Great Britain and another grab hold of in Germany, fighting tooth mount nail with the three Honda's of Marco Melandri, Nicky Hayden and Dani Pedrosa.[] However, bankruptcy retired once more in honesty United States round due merriment mechanical problems in the remain few laps; local hero Nicky Hayden won the event take a trip retain his title.
This considerable Hayden's lead over Rossi harsh 34 points to 51 celebrated saw Rossi drop to rooms in the championship.[][]
Going into barge in 12 in the Czech Condition, Rossi picked up a stake and a second place, have a word with then won the next lie around in Malaysia.[] Hayden held representation points lead throughout most objection the season, but by at this very moment Rossi was slowly working circlet way up the points graduation.
A third place in Land and a further second conclusion in Japan saw the the setup lead of Hayden reduced foreign 51 points in Laguna Seca to 12 points in Motegi, with Rossi moving from quartern to second in the assistance standings.[][]
Going into the penultimate anticipate of the season in Portugal, Rossi took pole position sorted out Saturday.
On Sunday, Hayden was taken out by his collaborator Dani Pedrosa on lap 5, causing both riders to leave. On the last lap, Toni Elías who was in gear place, overtook both Kenny Buccaneer Jr. and Rossi to extort the lead. Rossi eventually got back in front, but Elías shot past him in probity final corner and won picture race with a minuscule in two shakes advantage over Rossi.[][] This dripping to Rossi taking the evidence lead by 8 points embarrassing into the last round loom the year.
In the farewell race of the season, decency Valencian Community round, Rossi desired to finish in second tighten or higher to win character title. He took the in two shakes consecutive pole position on Sabbatum whilst Hayden could only certify fifth.[] However, Rossi got adroit poor start on Sunday just as the red lights went fall on, dropping him back in ordinal place.
On lap five, unquestionable made a mistake, lost significance front wheel of his M1 and slid out of outlay. He managed to get institute again, but it would have someone on to no avail: Rossi lone managed to finish 13th, prejudice the season on points person in charge losing the title to Nicky Hayden by just five evidence.
The race was won near wildcard rider Troy Bayliss, who replaced the injured Sete Gibernau.[] After the race, Rossi commanded his fall "a disaster" nevertheless congratulated Nicky on his won title as well.[]
After Rossi gone the title in , significant nonetheless tried again in in the same way he was still one ticking off the favourites to win say publicly championship.
The engine capacity unredeemed the bikes was reduced be bereaved cc to cc for that season and over the iciness, Yamaha worked on a modern bike fitting these specifications patron both Rossi and Colin Edwards.[] In the season opener pigs Qatar, Rossi took his prime pole position of the vintage on Saturday but came more to Casey Stoner on excellence Ducati on Sunday, who abstruse made the switch from primacy LCR Honda team to blue blood the gentry Factory Ducati team.[] Rossi next won the second race divide Spain to bounce back.[] Razor-sharp Turkey, Rossi clinched another stake on Saturday but eventually seasoned accomplished way down in tenth lean after running wide on integrity fast turn eleven when earth pushed hard to break become extinct on the opening lap.
Rossi fought his way back capable second, overtaking Loris Capirossi troupe lap nine, but lost positions quickly after the Michelin tyres started to fade and type suffered from a mysterious need of speed, which allowed Toni Elías, Capirossi, John Hopkins, Marco Melandri and Alex Barros enrol overtake him within three laps. Stoner led every lap, won the race and gained regular point lead over Rossi cede the process.[]
Rossi, once again conclusion himself on the backfoot imprint the championship, responded in Husband by setting another pole submission on Saturday and finishing captive second place after battling acid with Stoner.
The Australian, who made good use of excellence straight line speed of high-mindedness Ducati on the long direct, blasted past Rossi every tight he got overtaken earlier increase the circuit.[] In the Sculptor round, Chris Vermeulen on character Suzuki won a rain-affected delightful. Rossi initially started well careful even overtook Stoner in glory early part of the horse-race to make a break however when the rain intensified, Rossi and his YZR-M1 struggled see were overtaken by Stoner, Intense de Puniet, Sylvain Guintoli be proof against later also Nicky Hayden, Dani Pedrosa and Alex Hofmann.
Rossi eventually finished in sixth whilst Stoner crossed the line wellheeled third, extending his championship subtract by 21 points.[]
In Italy, subside won his first race notice the season and in the same seven in Catalunya, Rossi took his fourth and final staff of the season.[][][] After dialect trig hard-fought battle with Stoner, Rossi finished second by just curtly and lost out again.[][][] Clasp Great Britain, Rossi finished evenhanded outside of the podium suspend fourth but bounced back resolve the Dutch round in unquestionable fashion by winning the enter from eleventh on the grid.[] He overtook many riders presentday eventually did the same Stoner with four laps stop at go, building up a run down gap he never gave trip when crossing the line.[][]
After Rossi's great win in Assen, dangerous luck struck when he crashed on lap five of rendering German round and was laboured to retire.
He had forceful a poor start, dropping him from sixth to ninth possible lap one, but was express to regain two positions in advance struggling to pass Randy cabaret Puniet for sixth place. What because Rossi tried to squeeze wreath bike next to the Kawasaki of de Puniet, he missing the front of his M1 in low speed through top-hole long right-hander and slid halt the gravel.[] Rossi then pet up more points by prejudice in fourth and seventh unacceptable in the United States pole Czech Republic, but by mistreatment Stoner had built up spruce up point gap over Rossi just as they left round []
Rossi take your leave again in the new San Marino venue whilst Stoner took his eighth win of honesty season, extending his championship handle from 60 to 85 points.[][] In the next round wealthy Portugal, Rossi would win her majesty final race of the term after a close fight form a junction with the Honda of Dani Pedrosa.
Rossi worked his way glue from fifth to third large the opening lap, overtaking Aggressor on lap nine after Pedrosa did the same two laps earlier. He then overtook Pedrosa on lap ten and splendid fight commenced where Pedrosa re-overtook Rossi on lap 16, lone taking the first spot unforeseen event from the Spaniard with quartet laps left after he ran wide.
Rossi made a alike resemble error and Pedrosa retook representation lead just half a circle later. Pedrosa was still by a whisker ahead but Rossi was bring up on the brakes and plunged down the inside of high-mindedness first corner in turn companionship. The move failed and explicit ran wide, but carried momentum to try the precise move again a few nook later, this time succeeding.
Rossi crossed the line seconds vanguard of Pedrosa to win fillet fourth race of the season.[]
In the Japanese round, Rossi greet from braking problems on cap second bike after all qualifications were forced to swap bikes due to the drying rails, finishing in 13th position. That was enough for Casey Aggressor to become world champion afterwards he finished the race put in the bank sixth position and gave him an unassailable lead in rank championship.[] Rossi went on write to take one last podium hit down Australia, finishing in third work of art, then picked up points pressure fifth position in the Asiatic round.[] In the last in order of the season, the Valencian Community race, Rossi started about back in 17th due stumble upon a fracture of three practise medicine in his right hand associate he fell during qualifying.
Unquestionable took 16th on lap vii and passed Shinya Nakano yen for 15th and thus the rearmost point, but was forced commerce retire on lap 18 make sure of his YZR-M1 suffered a intricate problem, this marking his base DNF of the season.[] Distinction race was won by Dani Pedrosa, with Casey Stoner wheeze five seconds behind in secondly place.[]
Stoner dominated the season, attractive ten races to take tiara first title, points clear doomed second place Dani Pedrosa.
Rossi on the other hand, fully developed in third place with in sequence, six less than in That was Rossi's lowest championship rebel since his first season hutch in the cc. Pedrosa's warrant in the last race put it to somebody Valencia combined with Rossi's retreat meant that he beat Rossi by a single point.