| Name | Valentino Rossi |
| Nicknames | Rossifumi, Valentinik, The Doctor, GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) |
| Profession | Motorcycle racer |
| Date of Birth | 16th February 1979 |
| Birth Place | Urbino, Pesaro e Urbino, Italy |
| Height | 182 cm |
| Weight | 64 Kg |
| Nationality | Italian |
| Zodaic sign | Aquarius |
| Family | Father – Graziano Rossi (Former motorcycle racer) Mother – Stefania |
| Residence | London, UK |
| Current Team | Fiat Yamaha Team |
| Bike number | 46 |
| Pole Positions | 45 |
| Podiums | 127 |
| Known for | * Clownish upstart to being dubbed “The Doctor” for his calculated and precise way of out-racing opponents. * Colorful helmets |
| Class | MotoGP |
| Bike | Yamaha |
| First racing love | Go-karts |
| Debut | Race – 1991 Grand Prix – MAL 125cc, 1996 Pole Position – CZE 125cc, 1996 Race Fastest Lap – FRA 125cc, 1996 Podium – AUT 125cc, 1996 GP Victory – CZE 125cc, 1996 |
| Inspired by | ‘Norifumi’ Abe (Japanese rider) |
| Inspiration for the choice of number 46 | A Japanese “wild card” racer whom he saw on television speeding past much more seasoned riders in a wet race. |
| Achievements | * Multiple MotoGP World Championships. * Ranked as 63rd in the Forbes Most Powerful Celebrity 100 List (2005). * The youngest rider ever to win the 125cc World Championship. * Ranked as 64th in the Forbes Most Powerful Celebrity 100 List (2006). * Ranked as the 2nd highest paid non US citizen athlete in their “International 20″ (2006). |
| Records | * Youngest ever won the Italian 125cc champion, and third in the European championship (1995). * First rider in the history of the sport to win back-to-back premier class races for different manufacturers. * The first rider in the 55-year history of Moto GP to take back-to-back victories riding machines from two different manufacturers, The 2003 Repsol Honda RC211V and the 2004 Gauloises Yamaha YZR M1. * One of the two riders to win back-to-back titles on different machinery with Repsol Honda RC211V (2003) and with Gauloises Yamaha YZR M1 (2004). * The youngest rider ever to have won World Championships in all three classes 125GP, 250GP, and the 500GP/Moto GP.* First in all time podium standings with 104 podiums in premier class. * First in most podiums in a season with 16 podiums (2003 and 2005). * First in fastest laps in a season with 12 fastest laps (2003). * Only rider to win three races after starting the race from 11th or lower on the grid (British GP 2001, German GP 2006 & Dutch TT 2007).* First rider ever to win the MotoGP class at the age of 23. * Second rider ever to win the premier class title with a two-stroke and a four-stroke machine. * Fourth youngest rider ever to win the 500cc title. * Eighth rider to have won three or more successive premier-class titles. * Only rider to win seven consecutive races at his home Grand Prix at Mugello (2002-2008). |
| Trademarks | * Eye-catching incredible style * Sense of humor * Ways of celebrating his victories |
| Text on his helmet | Refers to the name of his group of friends: “The Tribe of the Chihuahua” |
| Letters on his leathers | VVLF – “Viva La Figa” (Italian) |
| Most featuring design in the helmet | Sun & Moon motif, signifying the two sides of his personality |
| Author of Valentino’s helmet’s design | Aldo Drudi |
| Night before a race | Spends time with his bike in the garage checking the positions of all the stickers. |
| Much commented habit | Adjusting the fit of his leathers by standing straight up on the foot-pegs, while riding the pit-lane before the start of race or practice |
| Superstitious beliefs | * Stops at about 2 m from his bike, bend over and reach his boots. * He will crouch down and hold the right-side foot-peg, with his head bowed after arriving at his bike. * Always puts one boot on before the other, one glove on before the other, and he always gets on the bike the same way. |
| About himself | “I’m Valentino Rossi. And I want to be a Person not an Icon” |
| Hobbies | Soccer, radio-controlled toys, motocross, skiing |
| Interests | Guitar, Racing and football |
| Loves | Everything that goes fast, off-road, rally or road racing |
| Favorite foot ball club | Inter Milan |
| Autobiography | What If I’d Never Tried It |
| Biography | “Valentino Rossi: The Flying Doctor” by Mat Oxley |
| About his turtle tattoo | “Because I like the animal a lot. I had it as a mascot from when I was very young.” |
| About him | Mick Doohan : “Rossi is mentally strong and he never gives up.” Brad Pitt : Colin Edwards: Randy Mamola: Giacomo Agostini: Kenny Roberts Sr.: Frankie Chili : Nicky Hayden: Shane Byrne: |
| Facts | * Rode his first mini bike at the age of just two and a half. * Began racing as a teenager, first with karts, then with mini motors (mini bikes). * Started his career on a mini bike at the coastal resorts near his home, Tavullia. * He won the regional kart championship in 1990. * Lives in his apartment in London (Knightsbridge). * In his hometown many buildings have murals in his honor. * His childhood friends are running a fan club in Tavullia. * Crew Chief, Jeremy Burgess, continued to support him (who moved from Honda to work with him in the Yamaha). * Forbes magazine reported him as the ninth highest paid sportsman (jointly with Lance Armstrong) in 2004 with earnings of $28m. * He was the team-mate of the youngest AMA Superbike Champion Nicky Hayden (2003). |
| Quotes | “I try to have a different relationship with the bike. I don’t give it a name, but I always speak with it. I don’t know if the other riders do the same. This is not only a piece of metal – there is a soul. The bike talks back too. But not with a voice, with the components”
“When I made the decision to move to Yamaha many people thought it was a stupid thing to do, even my father and Jeremy Burgess. But I was already committed and have never looked back since.” “When I looked at my best lap time I thought it was like a symphony of violins – perfect, so I decided that if I won I would do this celebration across the finish line!” “125 racing was more like a game. 250 started to become serious and this is more serious, because this bike is dangerous…it’s necessary every time to be quiet and respectful with the bike. Very respectful.” “Riding a race bike is an art – a thing that you do because you feel something inside.” |
| Official Website | www.fanclubvalentinorossi.com |
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