Talent to get to the top is one thing, but talent to remain there is arguably a more impressive feat as Valentino Rossi has demonstrated over the years.
The only rider on today’s grid that can trace his career right back to the two-stroke 500GP era of MotoGP racing, Rossi has retained a remarkably high level over the last two decades.
From Honda to Yamaha to Ducati and back to Yamaha, Rossi has raced 990cc, 800cc and 1000cc engines in that time and used Michelin and Bridgestone rubber, each twist of the career demanding a slightly different style of riding, from the body-up position of his early career to the more uniform elbow-down style of today.
To see just how much Rossi has adapted over the years, Crash.net has taken a series of photos from the same corner – at Catalunya, Phillip Island and Sepang – and layered them over one another to show the way he has changed his own style to remain competitive.
It’s a fascinating demonstration of how Rossi has watched and learnt from new rivals coming in, whether it is the smoother style of Jorge Lorenzo or the more aggressive hanging off technique of Marc Marquez, all while the bikes beneath him were changing.
Get an idea of what it has taken to keep Rossi sharp over time here…
Rossi made his 500GP/MotoGP debut in 2000 and clinched titles in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008 and 2009. Heading into his twentieth year of premier class he is deciding between retiring and continuing with the Petronas SRT Yamaha team.
