Valentino Rossi was a MotoGP icon during his career and still is after his retirement at the end of 2021.
The doctor He was considered bigger than the sport, winning seven premiership titles between 2001 and 2009. Rossi It has attracted a lot of people to MotoGP and an incredibly loyal fan base, especially from his home country.
True or False? Valentino Rossi was a better MotoGP rider than Marc Marquez.
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Italy has a proud history in MotoGP.294 wins over 27 riders, more than any other nation. Of those wins, Rossi has 89, making him the most in premier class history.
Rossi’s partnership with Yamaha He further increased his influence by winning four MotoGP titles with the manufacturer. His intense rivalry with Marc Marquez ensured that his legacy would live on after his retirement Controversy of the 2015 season It is still on the minds of fans today.
MotoGP in Italy ‘will lose appeal’ without Valentino Rossi, says Michele Pirro
Rossi continues to influence MotoGP to this day. He leads his own team. VR46, part of the Ducati line, and its own academy that has produced talents such as Francesco Bagnaia, Luca Marini and Marco Bezzecchi.
But since his last championship win in 2009, Bagnaia is the only Italian to win back-to-back MotoGP titles. Ducati In 2022 and 2023
The challenge driver Michel Pirro discussed through GPON A talent shortage problem from Italy in recent years. Ducati are looking to solve that with their own academy, but the 39-year-old knows the difficult task at hand.
Without Rossi, he believes the sport will ‘lose its appeal’ in Italy: “VR46 has done a great job and allowed us to inherit some fantastic riders, but apart from the latest arrivals to MotoGP, we know very well that we have very little.
“Without a two-wheeled sinner, motorcycling will lose its appeal in Italy as well. Personally, I will be 40 years old this year and I want to contribute in this regard. It won’t be easy, but you have to start somewhere.”
Read more: Everything you need to know about Valentino Rossi from stats to net worth
Who could be the next Italian star to rise in MotoGP?
In the year Six Italians will be on the MotoGP grid in 2026, and a few could be in a position to win the championship. Bezecchi is being backed to fight Marc Marquez.Bagnaia is hoping for a revival after a terrible year in GP25 last season.
But after 2026, the future for Italy in the MotoGP is bleak, because the sport is struggling to attract talent from the nation and to raise the level.
For example, in Moto2, the grid is dominated by Spanish riders, while there are three Italians. One of them, Celestino VTT, got his first taste of MotoGP during testing for the Rossi VR46 in Valencia.
Whether Vetti becomes the next star to emerge from Italy depends on his performance. But as the Italian riders progress through the ranks, it is clear that there is a big problem, and Piro wants to solve it with Ducati.
