Valentino Rossi - 2006 Rider Profile
Valentino Rossi starts his third season with Yamaha's
Factory Team as reigning MotoGP World Champion once
again, having won his seventh world title, his second
for Yamaha, in Sepang last year. He dominated the
2005 season, winning eleven races in total, taking
five pole positions and only finishing off the podium
once. In doing so he moved up to third place in the
all-time winners list and became one of only five
riders in the history of the sport to win the premier-class
title on five occasions. He also helped Yamaha to
win the Manufacturers' and Teams' titles, ensuring
Yamaha celebrated its 50th Anniversary with one of
its best ever years in Grand Prix. In 2006 Valentino
will again contest the title alongside American Colin
Edwards, as the two of them look to repeat the success
of 2005 with another victorious year.
Rossi's World Championship debut came at the Malaysian
Grand Prix in 1996 and he finished his first international
season in 9th place with one race win. The following
year he became the youngest ever rider to win the
125cc World Championship, winning eleven races along
the way with Aprilia. The pattern continued when he
moved into the 250cc class, taking second place in
his first year before becoming World Champion in 1999,
once again with Aprilia.
In 2000 he entered a new phase of his career when
he joined forces with Honda in the 500cc class. He
proved his worth once again by finishing second, before
becoming the last ever 500cc World Champion in 2001.
Rossi has held onto his crown ever since, taking the
MotoGP World title in 2002 and 2003, before moving
to Yamaha and winning again in 2004 and 2005.
Rossi made history by moving to Yamaha in 2004 and
winning the season-opening Grand Prix in South Africa,
becoming the first rider in the history of the sport
to win back-to-back premier class races for different
manufacturers. He went on to win nine out of 16 races,
finally clinching the World Championship title, Yamaha's
first for 12 years, with victory at the penultimate
Grand Prix in Phillip Island. A final win at the Valencia
Grand Prix also ensured that the Yamaha Factory Team
won the team title.
He will turn 27 in February 2006 and remains the
youngest rider to have won World Championships in
all three classes. He continues to have the support
of his long-standing Crew Chief, Jeremy Burgess, who
moved from Honda to work with him at Yamaha Factory
Racing.
One of the most popular members of the paddock, 'The
Doctor' has a wide fan base all over the world. A
keen football fan and an accomplished rally driver,
He is based in London between races.
Profile* Career highlights;
- Date of birth: 16.02.1979
- Place of birth: Urbino, Italy
- Nationality: Italian
- Residence: London, UK
- Height: 182 cm
- Weight: 59 kg
- Marital status: Single
- Hobbies: Soccer, radio-controlled toys
- Team: Camel Yamaha Team
- Bike: YZR-M1
- Grand Prix contested in total: 153
- First Grand Prix: 1996
- First race: 1991
- Victories in total: 77
- First victory: 1996
- Podiums: 113
- First podium: 1996
- Pole positions: 40
- First pole: 1996
- World championship wins in total: 7
* correct as of 25.01.2006
- 2006: Camel Yamaha Team, MotoGP World Championship
- 2005: MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPION
- 2004: MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPION
- 2003: MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPION
- 2002: MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPION
- 2001: 500 MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPION. Winner Suzuka
Eight Hours
- 2000: 2nd, 500 MotoGP World Championship
- 1999: 250 GP WORLD CHAMPION
- 1998: 2nd, 250 MotoGP World Championship
- 1997: 125 GP WORLD CHAMPION
- 1996: 9th, 125 MotoGP World Championship
- 1995: 125cc Italian Champion. 3rd - 125 cc European
Championship
- 1994: 125cc Italian Sports Production Champion
- 1993: 3rd - 125cc Italian Sports Production Championship
- 1992: Regional Minimoto Champion
- 1991: 4th - Italian Junior Go-Kart Championship.
First win in Minimotos
- 1990: Regional Go-Kart Championship - 9 wins
- 1989: First Go-Kart Race
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