Valentino Rossi

Valentino Rossi
Rossi at the 2010 Qatar Grand Prix
Nationality	Italian
Born	(1979-02-16) February 16, 1979 (age 33) Urbino , Italy
Current team	Ducati Team
Bike number	46
Website	valentinorossi.com
[hide]Motorcycle racing career statistics MotoGP World Championship Active years 2000–present Manufacturers Honda (2000–2003) Yamaha (2004–2010) Ducati (2011–present) Championships 7 (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009) 2011 Championship position 7th (139 pts) Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 198 79 139 49 66 3456 250cc World Championship Active years 1998–1999 Manufacturers Aprilia Championships 1 (1999) Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 30 14 21 5 11 510 125cc World Championship Active years 1996–1997 Manufacturers Aprilia Championships 1 (1997) Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 30 12 15 5 9 432

Valentino Rossi, (born February 16, 1979 in Urbino),^[1] is an Italian professional motorcycle racer and multiple MotoGP World Champion. He is one of the most successful motorcycle racers of all time, with nine Grand Prix World Championships to his name – seven of which are in the premier class.

Following his father, Graziano Rossi, Valentino started racing in Grand Prix in 1996 for Aprilia in the 125cc category and won his first World Championship the following year. From there, he moved up to the 250cc category with Aprilia and won the 250cc World Championship in 1999. He won the 500cc World Championship with Honda in 2001, the MotoGP World Championships (also with Honda) in 2002 and 2003, and continued his streak of back-to-back championships by winning the 2004 and 2005 titles after leaving Honda to join Yamaha, before regaining the title in 2008 and retaining it in 2009.^[2] He left Yamaha to join Ducati for the 2011 season.^[3][4]

Rossi is first in all time 500 cc/MotoGP race wins standings, with 79 victories, and second in all time overall wins standings with 105 race wins (behind Giacomo Agostini with 122).

The Sky

Have you seen the Sunset and Sunrise
And the Horizon that's a prize

How the colors mix and melt
And look as soft as felt

How they float away into black
As you wish them back

And that feeling that makes you sad
How the tears come and just make you mad

But then you see the stars
That are so small they could fit in jars

Now there's so many
You'd by each one with a penny

How they shine so bright
And don't put up a fight

So you stand watching them twinkle and shine
Then you realize you feel fine

So you sigh
And say goodbye.