Valentino Rossi

Nationality: Italian
Date of birth: 16 Feb 1979
Residence: London
Race number: 46
World championships: 7
Nick name: THE DOCTOR

Valentino Rossi is an Italian professional motorcycle racer and multiple MotoGP World Champion. He is one of the most successful motorcycle racers of all time, with 8 Grand Prix World Championships to his name. According to Sports Illustrated, Valentino Rossi is one of the highest earning sports personalities in the world, having earned an estimated $34 million in 2007.

Following his father, Graziano Rossi, Rossi started racing in Grand Prix in 1996 for Aprilia in the 125cc category and won his first World Championship the following year. From there, he moved up to the 250 cc category, again with Aprilia, and won the World Championship in 1999. He won the 500 cc World Championship with Honda in 2001, the MotoGP World Championships (also with Honda) in 2002 and 2003, and continued his streak of back-to-back championships by winning the 2004 and 2005 titles after leaving Honda to join Yamaha, before regaining the title in 2008.

Superstitions

Rossi is a very superstitious person and his pre-ride rituals are well known. Prior to riding (whether racing, qualifying, or practice), he will start his personal ritual by stopping at about 2 metres from his bike, bend over and reach his boots.. Then, when arriving at his bike, he will crouch down and hold the right-side foot-peg, with his head bowed. It is not known whether he is in silent prayer, if he is getting in the correct frame-of-mind needed to ride, or paying respect to a fellow racer, family member, or friend. He will also be adjusting the fit of his leathers by standing straight up on the foot-pegs, whilst riding the pit-lane before the start of race or practice; this may merely be a matter of comfort, which has become a much-commented upon habit. He also revealed in an interview with MotoGP.com that he always puts one boot on before the other, one glove on before the other, and he always gets on the bike the same way. He also gets off the bike in the same way, swinging his right leg over the front of the bike.

Overall Records

• Fifth in all time world championship wins with 8 world championships along with Phil Read, behind Carlo Ubbiali and Mike Hailwood with 9 world championships, Ángel Nieto with 13 world championships and Giacomo Agostini with 15 world championships.
  
• Second in all time race wins standings with 97 race wins, behind Giacomo Agostini with 122 race wins.
  
• Second in all time podium standings with 151 podiums, behind Giacomo Agostini with 159 podiums. Ángel Nieto is third with 139 podiums.
  
• Third in all time pole positions standings with 51 pole positions, behind Michael Doohan with 58 pole positions and Max Biaggi with 56 pole positions.
  
• Fourth in all time fastest laps standings with 77 fastest laps, behind Giacomo Agostini with 117 fastest laps, Ángel Nieto with 81 fastest laps and Mike Hailwood with 79 fastest laps.