Who is MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi? Everything you need to know from career stats to net worth

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Valentino Rossi is one of the legends of MotoGP having taken the crown seven times during his 21 years competing in the top-flight category.

He is the only rider in history to win 125cc, 250cc, 500cc and MotoGP world championships, which is why a lot of fans consider him to be one of the greatest motorcycle racers of all time.

Rossi holds the record for most premier class victories and podiums, with 89 victories and 199 podiums to his name in MotoGP.

The Italian has cultivated a legendary status in MotoGP with his ability to ride bikes impressively, so MotoGP News has decided to take a look at everything you need to know about him.

Valentino Rossi’s breakthrough on 125cc

Having started his career at a very young age, Rossi took part in go-karts first before taking up mini moto in his home country of Italy.

Rossi made the transition to 125cc motorcycles at the age of 17 years old, having some success in his first year and scoring a decent amount of points consistently.

He achieved his first-ever podium at the 1996 Austrian Grand Prix, before going on to take his first pole and victory at the Czech Republic Grand Prix. Despite earning more points in Imola and Australia, he finished the year off in ninth place on 111 points.

Rossi’s coming of age would be in 1997 when he took 11 victories in 15 races, finishing in the points at every race apart from Japan and Australia. He won his first world championship, which would set him off on a path of domination in motorcycle racing.

Valentino Rossi achieves seven MotoGP titles

After success in the 250cc and 500cc categories, Rossi made the switch to MotoGP in 2002 having first joined Honda. Although he experienced a few teething problems with the Honda bike, he took 11 victories in the season and was crowned world champion.

He would go on an unbeaten run with Honda before a switch to Yamaha in 2004, when he won a further two titles in a row before Nicky Hayden dethroned him in 2006.

Rossi had to settle with third place in 2007 with Yamaha but he was back on top in 2008 and in 2009 when he took a seventh title in the top flight class.

He would later get beaten by teammate Jorge Lorenzo in 2010, causing him to switch to Ducati for the 2011 season.

The decline and eventual retirement of Valentino Rossi

Following three podiums and a tough couple of seasons with Ducati, he was back with Yamaha for the 2013 season and took his first win in three years at Assen.

He mounted a title challenge with Marc Marquez in 2014 but the Spaniard’s dominance made it impossible for him to catch up. In 2015 he went head to head for the title with Lorenzo, only to miss out at the final round again.

Despite consistent results throughout the 2016 season, Rossi would miss out for a third year in a row on that eighth title.

Things started to decline for the 2017 season when he finished fifth in the standings up against Maverick Vinales in the same team, having also broken his leg midway through the year after an accident in testing.

Rossi returned after just three weeks and took a podium before the end of the year at Phillip Island. He remained at Yamaha for the 2018 season but achieved zero wins for two consecutive years.

Things did not improve in 2020 when he achieved a best position of third in the Andalusian GP, while in 2021 he made the switch to a Yamaha satellite team before retiring at the end of the season.

Who is Valentino Rossi?

Valentino Rossi is a seven-time motorcycle world champion and widely considered to be one of the greatest riders of all time. Rossi created the VR46 Racing Team in 2014 to help promote Italian riders into the championship and progressed into a full MotoGP team in 2021 to coincide with his retirement.

How old is Valentino Rossi? Where was he born and what is his nationality?

At the time of writing, Valentino Rossi is 46 years old and was born on 16 February 1979. Rossi hails from Urbino, Italy, which sits in the Marche region.

How tall is Valentino Rossi? What is his height in feet?

Valentino Rossi is 1.81m, which measures in at 5ft 9in, making him taller than the average height of a MotoGP rider, which is around 1.76m (5ft 6in).

Why is Valentino Rossi’s nickname ‘The Doctor’?

Valentino Rossi first picked up ‘The Doctor’ nickname when racing in 500cc, which was given to him as a sign of respect. There are two theories as to why it is his nickname, the first being that it is a result of him earning a degree.

The second is that it is used in Italian folklore to describe a person who brings them joy. Rossi himself believes that it is partially a joke, because his surname is a common name for doctors in Italy.

How good is Valentino Rossi? What’s been said about him?

Valentino Rossi is considered to be one of the greatest riders in MotoGP of all time, having expanded the championship’s reach globally.

“Say MotoGP anywhere in the world,” said fellow rider Cal Crutchlow when speaking to Goodwood, “and people will reply: ‘Valentino Rossi’.”

Marc Marquez ranked him among his all-time greats (via The Express): “Well Rossi would be one of the first, but in order of titles you would put Giacomo Agostini. For me the greatest in history are Agostini, Angel Nieto, Rossi.”

Valentino Rossi’s net worth

His net worth is valued at between $150 million and $200 million (£116 million and £156 million) according to various sources.

Valentino Rossi’s career stats

Valentino Rossi is one of the most decorated MotoGP riders in history, with seven top-tier championships and a total of 115 victories, which is the second-highest number of wins behind Giacomo Agostini.