Valentino Rossi is an Italian professional motorcycle road racer and also a multiple-time MotoGP World Champion. Other than that, he is also widely considered to be one of the greatest motorcycle racers of all time, with nine Grand Prix World Championships to his name, seven of which are in the premier class. Rossi is also the only road racer to have competed in 400 or more Grands Prix. He has ridden with the number 46 his entire career, including the years when he was defending his title.
He also owns the Sky Racing Team VR46 which currently participates in the Moto2 class and historically in the Moto3 class. Recently, it is announced that Valentino Rossi would retire at end of 2021 MotoGP season. He then confirmed that he will be concentrating his efforts on his Sky Racing Team VR46, in the year 2022. To honor his own legacy, these are 5 interesting facts about Valentino Rossi.
1) The Only Satellite Rider To Win The 500cc Title
Rossi won the first 500cc title with 325 points. He was the only satellite rider to get the title. He teamed up with Colin Edwards for the Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race and became the first Italian rider to win it, even though he didn’t have much experience with superbikes.
2) One Of Two Riders With 100 Grand Prix Wins
In 2009, Rossi registered a third position in Italy. After that, he battled with Lorenzo throughout the race to take the victory at Catalunya and grabbed a pole victory at the Dutch round. This was his 100th win that made Rossi the second rider, after Giacomo Agostini to get to this number.
3) He Is Very Superstitious
Rossi once said, “It’s just a moment to focus and ‘talk’ to my bike, like moving from one place to the next”. As other riders explained, “He always gets on and gets off his bike in the same fashion, his right leg first touching the ground. Right before the start, he fixes his helmet”.
4) He Is A Fan Of Inter Milan Football Club
Rossi self-proclaimed himself as a fan of Inter Milan Football Club. In return, Inter Milan congratulated him on his MotoGP World Championship win. Rossi repaid the compliment when Inter Milan won the UEFA Champions League in 2010, as he sent them congratulations. He’s been spotted at the San Siro cheering.
5) The Only MotoGP Rider To Complete ‘A Lap Of The World’
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.
Sources: Hot Cars.