Valentino Rossi

Born February 1979. A major star of the racing world with nine world titles. Joined Yamaha in 2004 and rode a YZR-M1 to victory four times in 2004, 2005, 2008 and 2009. In 2011 Rossi will leave Yamaha to ride in the MotoGP with Ducati. After taking the GP125 title in 1997 and the GP250 title in 1999 on Aprilia machines, Rossi moved up to the 500cc class from 2000. For three years straight from 2001, he won the pinnacle 500cc/MotoGP World Championships on Honda machines. He switched to Yamaha in 2004 and immediately won the season's opening round, going on to take the title that year with a total of nine wins including his curtain-raiser victory. In 2005, he took the title again with a total of 11 victories. In 2006 and 2007, he continued to battle for the championship title, but a series of mishaps resulted in rankings of 2nd and 3rd, respectively. In 2008, however, he regained the championship title with a total of nine wins. In 2009, he was again champion, with six wins. Rossi was the championship titleholder in a total of nine Grand Prix competitions.

In 2010, despite being scratched from four races because of injury, he still achieved a ranking of 3rd. In the Malaysia GP of that year, he chalked up his season's second win, his 46th victory on a YZR-M1, the same as his race number 46. His riding style was characterized by skillfully controlled tire slides and a habit of putting his inside leg out before entering a corner. He is also highly respected for his race set-up and settings capability. He is known, too, for his entertainment value, and his various antics delight fans. His helmet and machine are adorned with unique designs.