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Date of
Birth: 16/02/79
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Place of
Birth: Urbino, Italia
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Age: 23
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First
Grand Prix: 1996 Malaysia (Aprilia RS 125)
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First
podium: 1996 Austria (Aprilia RS 125)
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First
victory: 1996 Rep. Checa (Aprilia RS 125)
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Total
Pole Positions: 5 x 125cc, 5 x 250cc, 11 x 500cc/MotoGP
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Total
podiums: 15 x 125cc, 21 x 250cc, 33 x 500cc/MotoGP
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Total
victories: 12 x 125cc, 14 x 250cc, 23 x 500cc/MotoGP
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Total
World titles: 125 (1997), 250 (1999), 500 (2001), MotoGP (2002)
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1994:
Italian Sports Production Champion (Cagiva 125cc)
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1995:
125cc Italian Champion (Aprilia RS 125)
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1995: 3rd
125cc European Championship (Aprilia RS 125)
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1996: 9th
125cc World Championship (Aprilia RS 125)
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1997:
125cc World Champion (Aprilia RS 125)
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1998: 2nd
250cc World Championship (Aprilia RSW 250)
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1999:
250cc World Championship (Aprilia RSW 250)
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2000: 2nd
500cc World Championship (Honda NSR 500)
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2001:
500cc World Champion (Honda NSR 500)
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2002:
MotoGP World Champion (Honda RC211 V)
Valentino
Rossi may only be 23 years old but the Italian superstar already rates as
one of the greatest motorcycle racers in history. Young, sublimely
talented and dazzlingly charismatic, Rossi seems to have it all. Over a
mere six seasons he has swept through Grand Prix racing, winning the 125
World Championship in 1997, the 250 World Championship in '99 and the 500
World Championship last year. This season he has headed Honda's assault on
the new-look MotoGP series, riding the spectacular Repsol Honda RC 211V, a
200 horsepower, 5 cylinder, four-stroke bike. This explosive combination
has led the three leaders to a new World Championship title, the first of
the MotoGP era, with four races left until the end of the season.
Son of seventies GP
winner Graziano, who won three 250 GPs in 1979, the year of his birth,
Rossi has spent pretty much all his life on motorcycles. He rode his first
minibike at the age of just two and a half and spent the summers of his
earliest years traveling the continent with his father and mother
Stefania. Like most successful contemporary sportsmen Rossi found his
chosen sport early in life, although he did begin competing on four
wheels, racing go-karts. But the costs of getting serious on four wheels
were too great for his family, so he soon switched his allegiance to two
wheels, contesting his first minibike event in 1990. Commencing the theme
of learning the first year and dominating the second, which he continued
into 125, 250 and 500 GPs, Rossi was Italian minibike champion the
following year.
At the age of 14 he moved on to bigger things, riding a Cagiva 125 street
bike in the 1993 Italian Sport Production Championship. Once again, he won
the title the following year and was quickly signed to ride Aprilia 125 GP
machines in the '95 Italian and European Championships.
By now his phenomenal riding talent was attracting real notice as he
dominated his national series and took third in his first Euro campaign.
Rossi made his World Championship debut at the 1996 Malaysian GP and
climbed his first podium a few months later. He won his first world round
at that August's Czech GP. By now his sunny disposition and mop-head
hairdo were making him a huge favourite with fans. GP racing is a serious
business but Rossi can work as hard as anyone while apparently treating
his job as a bit of a laugh. That perhaps is his secret, for he's always
relaxed, always enjoying himself and always very, very fast.
Promoted to Aprilia's factory squad he was favourite to win the '97 125
crown. In fact Rossi totally dominated the frantically contested series,
winning 11 of 15 rounds.
Next stop the '98 250 World Championship. Rossi was lightning quick from
the outset on his Aprilia RSW250 but given to mistakes. After several
tumbles he got his act together to take a clean sweep of the final four
races to end up second overall. Nothing could stop him in '99 and after a
steady start he went on to win nine of the last 14 races. Rossi
demonstrated awesome riding talent, intelligent tactics and admirable
consistency against his more experienced rivals, so once again it was time
to look for another challenge.
 He started
his 500 career in the spring of 2000 the same way he'd started his 250
career - fast but flawed. Yet after tumbling out of the first two races he
steadied himself and got quicker and quicker. After scoring his first 500
podium in Spain during April, he took his first 500 win in tricky damp
conditions in Britain. More podium finishes at the next three races had
him challenging Kenny Roberts for the series lead but a tumble at Valencia
ended his title hopes. Another win in Brazil consolidated second in the
championship.
Not surprisingly, Rossi went into 2001 as one of the favourites to win the
last-ever 500 crown. He started the season in blazing style, winning the
first three races to establish an impressive championship lead over his
rivals. Halfway through the 16-round series he had already won five races
but a tumble at May's rain-soaked Italian GP and a difficult ride to
seventh at July's German GP allowed Max Biaggi to close to within ten
points. Rossi responded to his arch-rival's pressure in brilliant style,
winning six of the final seven races. He secured the World Championship
with two races remaining and his season total of 11 wins gave him the
highest percentage win rate of any modern-era 500 racer, just ahead of
mentor Mick Doohan, the man who won five 500 crowns in the late nineties.
Rossi's cavalier riding style - often likened to that of legendary '93 500
champ Kevin Schwantz - is only eclipsed by his off-track persona, which
seems unaffected by his rise to bona fide superstar status. In Italy his
fame has reached pop star proportions, forcing him to set up home in
London.
He now spends much of his time in the English capital, where he indulges
his passion for a fun-packed and hectic nightlife. But Rossi likes to keep
his feet firmly on the ground, hanging out with mates he's known since
kindergarten rather than working the celebrity circuit. He's a keen video
games player, motocross rider and rally driver - he has already competed
in a number of races with rally cars and may switch to the sport full-time
if he ever tires of bikes.
This 2002 season Valentino Rossi has joined the Repsol Honda factory team
as team mate of the Japanese Tour Ukawa. Despite the change, things have
stayed the same with regard to last year, since the reigning World
Champion is counting on the same technician and mechanics squad, and is
continuing with the colours of Repsol, who already joined him last year
during his victorious 2001 season.
The combination Repsol-Honda-Rossi has led the Italian rider this year to
make one of the most impressive seasons with regard to figures: 10
victories out of 12 races, 1 second place, 8 fastest laps, 270 of 300
available points, 7 poles and 120 laps leading during races. These figures
reaffirm with no doubt the superiority shown by Valentino Rossi along this
2002 season.
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