|
|
Valentino
Rossi - "The Doctor"
Italy
WORLD MOTORCYCLE CHAMPION
MotoGP, 500cc, 250cc, 125cc |
| 16
Feb 1979 |
-
date of birth, Urbino, Italy
- son
of Graziano Rossi - GP rider in 1970 - early 80s
|
| 1994 |
-
wins Italian Sports Production championship, aged 15; Cagiva 125cc
|
| 1995 |
-
wins Italian 125cc championship, aged 16; Aprilia RS 125
- 3rd
in European 125cc championship
|
| 1996 |
- 125cc
GP debut with Aprilia RS 125 (Malaysian GP)
- finish
9th
|
1997
*
125cc champion* |
- wins
125cc world championship age 18
- 2nd
youngest ever 125 champion
- Aprilia
RS 125
- 12
wins
|
| 1998 |
-
250cc debut with Aprilia RSW 250
- runner-up
in the championship
|
1999
*
250cc champion* |
- wins
250cc world championship age 20
-
youngest ever 250 champion
-
Aprilia RSW 250
|
| 2000 |
- 500cc
GP debut with Honda
- 2
wins, 7 podiums
|
2001
*
500cc champion* |
- 500cc
GP with Honda NSR 500
- record
10 wins, 11 podiums
- wins
500cc world championship age 22
- the
only rider besides Phil Read & Mike
Hailwood to
win all 3 class: Phil Read (125, 250, 500) and Mike Hailwood (250,
350, 500).
|
2002
*
MotoGP champion* |
- New MotoGP
world, championship
- Honda
factory team; Honda RC211 V5
- wins
first ever world MotoGP championship; age 23
- record
11 wins; 8 poles
|
2003
*
MotoGP champion* |
- MotoGP
with Honda 4 stroke
- won
his 54th GP win at Domnington British GP; equalling Mick Doohan's
career winning record (race win overturned 2 hours later)
- wins
MotoGP world championship (at Malaysian GP; his 57th
GP win)
- 9
race wins; 9 poles
- equals Agonisti's
record of 22 consecutive podiums in premier class
|
2004
*
MotoGP champion* |
- joins
Yamaha
- wins season
opening race (S Africa); he is the first rider in history to win
back-to-back races on different make bikes
- wins
MotoGP world championship
(at Australian GP; his 8th win of the year)
- the
only rider besides Eddie Lawson to win consecutive premier class
championship titles for different manufacturers
|
2005
*
MotoGP champion* |
- 2nd year
with Yamaha
- ROSSI
BECAME THE FIRST RIDER TO WIN 5 RACES WIN A ROW
(Shanghai, Le Mans, Mugello, Catalunya,
Assen)
- 77th
career GP win; 40 poles
- wins
MotoGP world championship
- 11
wins
- tests
with Ferrari Formula 1 team
|
2006
|
- 3rd year
with Yamaha
- tests
again with Ferrari Formula 1 team (speculation that he may switch
to Formula 1 in 2007)
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