MotoGP & Rossi

[Phadreus_imp]

Gents,

Not sure how many of you follow MotoGP racing, I've watched every race since 2000 and became a die hard fan of Valentino Rossi over that time. This is his final season, sad to see him retire. He has not performed well at all in his final year...really since the end of last season. It's been hard to see, watching arguably one of the world's greatest Motorcycle racers decline in performance over the last several years.

During the Austrian GP of 2020, he had a very close call that could have been the end for him. He has not been competitive since, and I believe the incident was the cause of his rapid decline in performance. Not sure if any of you witnessed the event, it was a terrifying close call.

[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fq7PXy6MhS0]Austrian GP Accident

I've seen many riders suffer in a serious accident and lose their competitive edge never to regain it. This case, Rossi was not injured, at least physically, but the mental toll sure seems real to me.

Anybody else follow MotGP here?

[Houtman_imp]

I have been following the GP since the mid sixties when living in Holland and going to the Dutch TT for the very first time in 1965. I have met many GP racers over the years including my favorites Wil Hartog and Jim Redman .

[Phadreus_imp]

I have been following the GP since the mid sixties when living in Holland and going to the Dutch TT for the very first time in 1965. I have met many GP racers over the years including my favorites Wil Hartog and Jim Redman .

I've been to too many Motorcycle races to count in America, including every one they raced at Indy, "The Brickyard". Haven't made it to COTA or Laguna Seca yet, definitely on the bucket list. Have to get those in before they drop from Moto GP schedule due to costs.

I wish I would have been aware of this racing during their 2 Stroke days. Those bikes looked like a handful to tame.

[Cormanus]

Phadreus, a number of us follow MotoGP—Ferret, redbirds and, of course, Houtman immediately come to mind. Once there was a regular threads discussing the race, but they lapsed due to lack of interest.

That was a terrible accident. It amazed me at the time—and still does—that no-one was killed or badly injured in it. I'd not have been surprised if Rossi had given-up racing after that. How many near misses like that can one expect to survive?

While I've not ever been a big Rossi fan, his contribution to the sport is undeniable and extensive. He also has great character and a certain flamboyance that will be missed. In my view, it's a pity he didn't retire a couple of years ago at the top of his game, but perhaps that's only easy to say with the benefit of hindsight.

[the Ferret]

I've been follow GP since 1973, and watch every practice, qualifying and race with my Dorna GP package. Used to watch it on TV on some Spanish Channel before that, Wild World of Sports before that and prior to that had to just read it in Cycle News and the monthly mc rags lol.

I was dissapointed that Rossi lost the 2006 Championship, but Hayden won and he was a really nice guy, so that was a good consolation. I was also disappointed that Pedrosa never won a Championship. Great rider, great sportsman, nice guy. Rossi really hasn't been competitive for a few years now, but usually has at least has a podium or 2. This year it has been sad watching him flounder around in the bottom 2 or 3. It became obvious 5 years ago Rossi was not going to win another Championship. I'm glad he finally decided to retire, not because I am not a fan of his, but because I am a fan of his.

Things aren't going to be as easy for Marquez going forward either. There is a great group of youngster coming along that have tasted victory in his absence, and believe in themselves and in the fact that even a healthy Marquez can be beaten. ( although not at a few tracks lol)

[Houtman_imp]

In 1977 Wil Hartog won the 500 cc Dutch TT on a private Suzuki RG 500 , for me that was one of the best things in my life ! I was there with many of my friends to see this.
In 2013 I went to visit Wil Hartog's museum in his home town and was able to sit on the bike which won the TT 33 years previous with Wil standing next to me . I would have never dreamed of this in 1977.

[the Ferret]

Cool pic and memory Houtman.

[michael1954]

Been watching motorcycle racing for years, be it MotoGp or USA racing, and I think Valentino Rossi is simply the best racer of the last 30 years, if not ever. What other racer can be red-flagged, and given a penalty of one entire lap, and still come back and not just podium, but win the race. No other rider that I know of has ever done so. No other rider has ever ridden that fast to beat all those other experts by basically an entire lap of a MotoGp race. It is sad to see him go, but in his prime, no other rider, ever could beat him day in and out, period.

[Sparky80_imp]

I too have watched MotoGP since 2005 and been to several of the races in Laguna and the first at COTA. I've followed Vale and Yamaha boys since then and was a huge Vale fan.
I think his demise began when he switched to Ducati in 2010 and then the unfortunate incident in Sepang the next year. I truly believe that's when he lost the edge to compete and dominate like he did before. After the crash that he was involved in that killed Marco, he's gone on to win 10 races in 10 years. Those are not Vale type numbers and nary a championship in that time.
I'm glad he's retiring. He's not helping anybody by being a back marker and struggling to get in the points. MotoGP will go on though will look different without that #46 in the paddock since 1995.

[Henrik_imp]

I have also been a huge fan of motorcycle racing I would say since the late 70's. Always follow MotoGP and WorldSBK, and have had the privilege of getting to know a number of the racers as well as other people involved in the sport over the years. For sure I was a fan of Rossi ever since he started in 125 all those years ago, and there are so many other riders that I am a fan of as well (like most of them!). Michael1954, I am not sure what race you are referring to with Rossi being penalized by a lap, but I was in Philip Island at the race where he received a 10 second penalty during the race, and so upped his pace in order to win with over 10 seconds ahead of the second rider.

For sure he should have called it quits a bit sooner, and I think he really only decided to ride in 2021 as well because he hoped to end his career without Covid keeping the fans from the track. Unfortunately that we not the case in the end.