Valentino Rossi's retirement brings down the curtain on an incredible
career in the MotoGP motorcycle world championships.
With his nine titles, including seven in the premier class, he is widely
regarded as the greatest motorcycle racer ever, and his 26 seasons of
Grand Prix racing make him unique across both motorcycling and
Formula 1. Rossi has been captivating fans since he won his first Grand
Prix at the age of 17 and even in his final season, at the age of 42, he
has been riding faster than ever.
In Valentino Rossi: All His Races, by top journalist Mat Oxley, each
and every one of these races comes under the microscope, complete with
perspectives about Rossi's achievements, the controversies, his
character, and analysis of his bikes. This is a Valentino Rossi book
like no other, with photos by Henk Keulemans, who was shooting grand
prix racing when Rossi's father Graziano was winning races.
- Early days, from karting and minimoto bikes to a first GP win, on a
125 Aprilia in the 1996 Czech GP, then onwards to claim the 125cc
world title in 1997.
- Moving up to the 250cc class in 1998 brought four consecutive
end-of-season wins riding for Aprilia, followed by a decisive title in
1999 with nine victories.
- Grabbed by Honda to race its super-successful NSR500, Rossi graduated
to the 'class of kings' for 2000, almost becoming champion that season
-- but the following year he sealed
- MotoGP, for 990cc four-stroke bikes, took over and Rossi immediately
reigned supreme aboard his Honda RC211V, securing back-to-back titles
in 2002 and 2003, before a surprise departure to uncompetitive Yamaha.
- Rossi rates his first year with Yamaha, 2004, as his best: defying
expectation, he won first time out on the YZR-M1 and took a fourth
successive title with nine wins.
- In six more seasons with Yamaha, 2005-10, Rossi collected three more
championship crowns, his 2008 success especially sweet because it
involved a fightback after two leaner years.
- Rossi's move to Ducati looked to be an appetising all-Italian prospect
but his two winless seasons there, 2011 and 2012, were disastrous.
- A return to Yamaha never quite recaptured his greatest glories, but
Rossi was championship runner-up three times and came very close to
another title in 2015.
Beautifully designed and comprehensively illustrated, this book is the
complete record of Valentino Rossi's remarkable career in motorcycle
racing.
