Marco Bezzecchi
Valentino Rossi won seven MotoGP titles across his first 10 years on the premier class grid, but he may have taken an eighth if one Portuguese Grand Prix ended differently.
Rossi is the most successful rider in the history of the Portuguese GP so far, having secured five premier class victories. Four of the Italian’s five victories at the Portuguese GP also came amid title-winning years, with glory in 2001, ‘02, ‘03 and ‘04 helping to secure those crowns.
Only during the 2007 MotoGP season did Rossi win the Portuguese GP but fail to then go on to taste ultimate glory, as Casey Stoner won Ducati their first premier class title. Rossi’s 2007 Portuguese GP victory marked one of his four wins en route to fourth place in the standings.
Valentino Rossi blamed Toni Elias winning the 2006 Portuguese Grand Prix for losing the title
Just 0.002 seconds denied Rossi another Portuguese GP win during the 2006 season. The Urbino native rode his Yamaha to within mere inches of glory only to be denied by Toni Elias at Estoril, as the Spaniard earned what would be his only career victory across his 105 starts.
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Valentino Rossi from stats to net worth
The five points that the 0.002s denied Rossi also helped stop him winning that year’s title, as Honda hero Nicky Hayden was crowned champion by five points at the next race in Valencia. Rossi would have beaten Hayden to the ‘06 title in a points tie on countback of wins (5 vs 2).
It was a huge missed opportunity for Rossi, as Dani Pedrosa had taken his Honda teammate Hayden out on Lap 5/28 of the 2006 Portuguese GP. And Rossi later recalled how he still felt Elias’ 2006 Portuguese GP win ahead of him at Estoril likely cost him that year’s riders’ title.
Rossi told MotoGP in November 2021: “In Portugal, my situation in the championship was quite desperate, because we had two races to go and Nicky had a good advantage.
“At the beginning of the race, Dani made a mistake in the touch with Nicky, and they crash. So, I said, ‘We have a chance’. And at the end, we had a great battle with Elias.
“He beat me for nothing on the straight. And that five points less, maybe I lose my championship. So, it was like a nightmare.”
Valentino Rossi was left to rue more than Toni Elias after Nicky Hayden won the 2006 title
The 2006 Portuguese GP remains the closest finish in MotoGP history, as Gresini Honda ace Elias out-dragged Yamaha legend Rossi to the line. Rossi had led them out of the final corner following a last-lap lunge at the hairpin, only for Elias to then latch onto the Italian’s exhaust.
Just 0.864s also separated the top four at Estoril in 2006, after Kenny Roberts Jr briefly split Elias and Rossi while Colin Edwards kept very close tabs on their tussle from behind. Makoto Tamada in fifth, meanwhile, finished the 2006 Portuguese GP a massive 18.419s off the lead.
Rossi ultimately paid a heavy price for failing to overtake Elias and make a move stick to win the 2006 Portuguese GP and punish Hayden’s retirement through no fault of his own. But it was not the straw that broke the camel’s back and denied Rossi the riders’ title during 2006.
Despite Elias’ victory, Rossi still left Estoril leading Hayden in the 2006 riders’ standings by eight points with 244 over 236. But Rossi crashed in the season-finale in Valencia and only recovered to P13 for three points, while Hayden’s P3 finish gave him 16 points and the title.
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