When it comes to professional motorcycle racing, there is a name that no one knows, that is Valentino Rossi, 42 years old, he is almost synonymous with MotoGP (World Motorcycle Grand Prix).
On November 14, No. 46 Rossi crossed the finish line of the Valencia Circuit in Spain with a score of 10th place, and the wave of people waving yellow flags in the stands rose for the last time for him, and the live big screen played the blessings sent by sports stars such as Hamilton, Federer, and Ronaldo to Rossi. "It means a lot to me at this moment." Rosie, who has always been good at funny, seemed very serious at this time, "I always felt that the arrival of this day would be like a nightmare, because it marked the end of a long time." 」 I know the farewell meeting will be in Valencia. But in the end, I still enjoyed the game, the moment. ”
After the 2021 MotoGP season, the legendary driver also ended his 25-year career as a professional racing driver. Rossi has set a series of astonishing records – 372 grand prix, 199 podium finishes, 89 races and 9 world titles. Glory has an end, and legend is difficult to surpass.
The "Rossi's Law" is a psychic experience
His 25-year career on standby has made Rossi the only motorcy driver in history to win the 125cc, 250cc, 500cc and MotoGP championships. The Italian witnessed the evolution of motorcycle sports.
Depending on the displacement of the car, motorcycle racing is divided into three different "orders of magnitude" – 125cc, 250cc and 500cc. The larger the displacement of the motorcycle, the greater the horsepower, the faster the speed, the heavier the vehicle also means that the more difficult it is to maneuver, and the larger the "cc number" requires higher driving skills.
In 1996, rossi, who had just turned 17, debuted at the World Motorcycle Grand Prix and competed in the 125cc class. He tried his hand at the ninth time of the year to complete his debut season. The following year, Rossi, who had just escaped from his newcomer status, showed his skills, reaching the top 11 times in 15 grand prix races, and won the 125cc annual championship without suspense.
In 1998, Rossi was promoted to the 250cc class, and his extreme performance on the field really made the outside world sweat. In five of the 15 races, the race was abandoned due to a crash, but in the other 10 races, Rossi all stood on the podium and finally won the second place. Also in the second season, Rossi became the ruler of the 250cc class. Winning nine races, he easily lifted the 1999 250cc class championship.
Rossi is only in his fifth year of career when he enters the highest hall of motorcycle sports, the World Motorcycle Grand Prix 500cc. In 2000, Rossi once again ushered in the "rookie season", the style of play is as good as ever, the record is as good as ever. Switching to Honda's new car, he retired from the first two races due to a fall, but after that, he stood on the podium 10 times in 14 sub-stations, which was another rookie and runner-up experience. In 2001, the "Rossi Law" continued to be tested, and in the second year of the new class, the Italians achieved a crushing domination - 11 titles in 16 races, and naturally won the championship. The rookie won the championship the following year, and the three levels were like this, which is the "Rossi Rule" of the second psychic.
In the face of doubts, respond directly with actions
Just after Rossi conquered the top, motorcycle sports ushered in a huge change. The 500cc, the highest level of the World Motorcycle Grand Prix, was renamed MotoGP, and the rules of racing design were also greatly changed. After switching to Honda's new four-stroke car, Rossi in the 2002 season made the contenders feel desperate – 11 times won the championship, 4 times runner-up, and he was either first or second in almost every race. The Italians continued their strength in 2003, winning their fifth world title.
The radiant Rossi even raised doubts: was his success due to his superb racing skills, or the unparalleled performance of Honda's cars? A similar debate took place during Schumacher's reign in F1, when a racing driver's advantage is unshakable, and it is inevitable that some people will suspect that it is actually the car that plays a more crucial role.
Compared with Schumacher, who was reluctant to respond publicly to controversial topics, Rossi, who had a strong personality, fought back with his own practical actions. At the end of 2003, at the peak, he parted ways with Honda and switched to Yamaha Racing – in 2004 and 2005, the Italian won two consecutive championships, achieving four consecutive individual titles since the MotoGP reform, expanding his world championship title to seven while answering questioners in the most special way. In 2008 and 2009, Rossi won the MotoGP Drivers Championship again, becoming the "Nine Champions".
The dreamed tenth crown did not come after all. With the emergence of a new generation of top drivers such as Márquez, as the teams are chasing each other in terms of technology, and of course, with Rossi getting old, he finally can't run through time and can't get back to the championship. In 2019, the 40-year-old Rossi fell out of the top three in the year-end rankings, and then fell again and again, until August 6 this year, Rossi announced that he would retire at the end of the season. In his final battle, 10th in the final season, the old king is satisfied, and indeed, at the age of 42, he is still one of the 10 best motorcyclists in the world, and who can do it except Valentino Rossi?
Infect the professional car world with the spirit of entertainment
Flipping through Rossi's long resume of a professional driver, no matter what year or page you turn, you can find some interesting and funny pieces.
The treasure-loving Rossi always performs unexpectedly comical steps after winning the race. For example, dressed as the British hero Robin Hood, he stepped on the podium of the British station; for example, in 2001, rosie jumped out of the car and went straight to the mobile toilet after crossing the finish line in Spain. These "ghost animals" made car fans laugh and won Rossi more and more "road fans".
The most impressive was the 2002 Italy station. Rosie slowly stopped the car, and two guys dressed as police officers chased after him and angrily handed him a speeding ticket. The scene surprised the fans in the stands and puzzled the other drivers. Because of the excessively realistic acting, it is said that even Grandma Rossi, who was watching the live broadcast in front of the TV, called her grandson and asked: "Valentino, is the ticket issued by the police true?" Rosie could only answer honestly, "No, Grandma." They're from my fan club! ”
In addition to having a rare entertainment spirit in the professional sports world, "No. 46", "Yellow" and "TheDoctor" are Rossi's labels. From the time she stepped into the World Motorcycle Grand Prix, Rossi has been using number 46 as a mount number and wearing a yellow helmet. The nickname "TheDoctor" has long been a household name, implying that Rossi's tuning of the motorcycle is as professional as a doctor. In 2004, after Rossi won the championship in the last lap, his funny fan group appeared again, they draped Rossi with a white coat and stethoscope, and Rossi was thus surrounded on the podium.
Today, "TheDoctor" will not only continue to tune the car, he will also personally "tune" the motorcyclists. After retiring from the military, Rossi decided to return to the VR46 Rider Academy he founded to train more professional riders and pass on his ultimate pursuit of speed and the spirit of entertainment.
(Photo: Xinhua News Agency)
Author: Wu Shu
Edit: Gu Miao