Today, nine-time World Champion and Grand Prix racing legend Valentino Rossi has announced his retirement as a MotoGP rider after the end of the 2021 season. Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. and Yamaha Motor Racing want to thank Rossi for the – still ongoing – 16 fantastic years of partnership. They plan to maintain a close working relationship with the Italian after 2021 through various collaborations including the VR46 Riders Academy and the ’Yamaha VR46 Master Camp‘ training and racing programmes.

Following Valentino Rossi‘s MotoGP racing retirement announcement, coming into effect at the end of 2021, Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. and Yamaha Motor Racing wish to sincerely thank the nine-time World Champion and Grand Prix racing legend for 16 – still ongoing –unforgettable seasons together.

Yamaha and Rossi‘s story started with that iconic victory at Valentino‘s first GP race for Yamaha in South Africa in 2004. From there on in the partnership got to experience lots of thrilling racing action, many great moments in the paddock and off the track, securing to date 142 podiums, celebrating 56 GP victories, and winning four MotoGP World Championship Titles, in 2004, 2005, 2008, and 2009.

The Doctor‘s astounding achievements, unparalleled passion for racing, and unrivalled charisma make up a huge part of Yamaha‘s and MotoGP‘s heritage, earning the Italian, who is recognised the world over, the epithet “GOAT” (Greatest of All Time).

It will be the end of an epic MotoGP era when the number 46 won‘t be featuring in the MotoGP line-up in 2022, as racing fans the world over will agree. But Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. and Yamaha Motor Racing will continue to support Rossi in his future endeavours. They will retain a close working relationship with him through various collaborations including the VR46 Riders Academyand theYamaha VR46 Master Camptraining and racing programmes. 

The retirement decision and new career opportunities will not diminish The Doctor‘s determination or lessen his efforts during his final months as a MotoGP rider. Likewise, Yamaha is extremely grateful for the MotoGP legend‘s contributions to its racing successes and will remain fully dedicated to ensuring that the second half of their 16th season together will be a fitting end to a very special MotoGP partnership.

With 26 Grand Prix seasons under his belt and still competing at the age of 42, Rossi is known as one of the greatest riders of all time. He equals Mike Hailwood and Carlo Ubbiali, who both also wrote nine titles to their names in all classes; only Giacomo Agostini and Ángel Nieto have more. With 56 wins from 264 races Rossi is the most successful Yamaha racer of all time. Moreover, Rossi is the only rider to win premier class titles on five different types of motorcycles (500cc 4-cylinder two-stroke, 990cc 5-cylinder four-stroke, Yamaha 990cc 4-cylinder four-stroke, Yamaha 800cc 4-cylinder four-stroke, and a Yamaha 1000cc 4-cylinder four-stroke).

RECORDS & HIGHLIGHTS  Rossi is the most successful Yamaha rider in history (56 wins, 46 second places, 40 third places on a Yamaha, scored in 264 races so far). He is the rider that’s been active the longest in Grand Prix racing (he made his debut in 1996, this is his 26th season, and he has made 423 Grand Prix starts in total, of which 363 were in the premier class). He competed the most seasons on a Yamaha in the MotoGP class (this is his 16th season). He secured the most podiums for Yamaha in the MotoGP class (so far, he has stood on the rostrum with Yamaha 142 times). He holds the most first places for Yamaha in the MotoGP class (56 wins). He completed 230 races back-to-back, without missing one (from his debut in 1996 in Malaysia until the race in Mugello in 2010). He holds the record for most races started overall and in the premier class. (He has started in 423 GP races across all classes; 363 of which have been in the premier class and 264 of those races he rode on a Yamaha.)

He was the first rider to take back-to-back premier-class victories with different manufacturers (after his win at the 2004 season-opening GP in South Africa). He achieved the highest number of premier-class victories in a single season by a Yamaha rider (11 wins in 2005). He stood on the podium in the premier class on 199 occasions.  He has been on the podium 235 times across all classes.  He is the only Grand Prix rider that also excels in rally racing. (He is a seven-time winner of the Monza Rally Show and won the GTE Am-class of the 2019 Gulf 12 Hours at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi.)  Out of Yamaha‘s 516 Grand Prix victories, 11% were secured by him, making Rossi the biggest contributing rider (56 victories of the 516 GP wins secured by Yamaha).  He is the only active Grand Prix racer who is also a lower-classes team owner at the same time. He secured 6,330 points in total (before the 2021 Styria GP), if you combine his results over all the classes he competed in (125cc, 250cc, 500cc, MotoGP).