Rossi would have stopped racing without Yamaha MotoGP return
Valentino Rossi admits he would have stopped racing had Yamaha not offered him a deal to return to the factory MotoGP squad in 2013 following his disastrous Ducati stint.
Rossi joined an unfancied Yamaha from Honda in 2004 and went on to win four premier class titles to add to the three he secured with HRC from 2001-2003.
He left Yamaha for Ducati in 2011, but endured the worst spell of his MotoGP career, scoring just three podiums across both seasons on difficult machinery.
He returned to the works Yamaha team in 2013, where he remained until the end of the 2020 season, with Rossi switching to the satellite Petronas SRT squad on a works-supported M1.
Asked to reflect on his 15 years with the factory Yamaha team, Rossi admits his “best memory” is of team boss Lin Jarvis offering him a return for 2013.
“There have been so many beautiful moments,” Rossi said during the Portuguese Grand Prix weekend.
“Since 2004, when we brough our team and [crew chief] Jeremy Burgess worked with Masao Furusawa.
“But the thing I remember most is when I talked to Lin Jarvis and they said they would give me another chance to return to the official team at the end of 2012.
“For that I will always be grateful to him and to all of Yamaha, because at that moment I was desperate and probably if I hadn’t returned to the factory team I would have even stopped racing.
“That’s my best memory.”
Rossi repaid the favour from Yamaha by returning to the top step of the podium at Assen in 2013.
He went on to win a further seven races for Yamaha, mounting an ultimately futile charge for the title against teammate Jorge Lorenzo in MotoGP’s most controversial campaign in 2015.
Rossi hasn’t won a grand prix since the 2017 Dutch TT, with his final season in factory Yamaha colours featuring just one rostrum visit in a crash-filled year.
The 41-year-old also missed the Aragon double-header due to contracting COVID-19. As a result, he ended the year 15th in the championship.
Picking out a highlight of his 2020 season, Rossi cited the San Marino weekend where he narrowly missed out on joining proteges Franco Morbidelli and Francesco Bagnaia on the podium as a high point.
“There were also some good moments [in 2020], like the Misano 1 race, in which unfortunately [Joan] Mir beat me on the last lap,” he added.
“But I just missed the podium. I had a good race and Franco won ahead of Pecco. Then Luca [Marini] and [Marco] Bezzecchi finished first and second in Moto2.
“So, it was a great day for the Academy.”
Suzuki felt no added pressure by "perfect" bike label
Why Espargaro faces Marquez with no fear at Honda
Toyota WEC star Conway relishing Lexus Rolex 24 GTD outing
Toyota FIA World Endurance Championship star Mike Conway says he is relishing the chance to pick up "new skills" driving a Lexus GT3 car in this weekend's Rolex 24 at Daytona.
Tandy: Night pace could fluctuate "dramatically" in Rolex 24
Porsche driver Nick Tandy is expecting the pace of GTP cars to change "quite dramatically" when they switch to the new cold-temperature Michelin tire in this weekend's Rolex 24 at Daytona.
Diriyah E-Prix: Evans snatches top spot from Ticktum in FE FP3
Jaguar's Mitch Evans snatched top spot at the end of the Diriyah E-Prix's third free practice session, knocking Dan Ticktum off the top of the Formula E timing board.
Diriyah FE pole leaves Buemi "sad" at how Nissan spell ended
Sebastien Buemi says his pole position pace at the Diriyah E-Prix is "just the beginning", but conceded it left him "sad" at how his time with Nissan ended.
The other Suzuki signing that could transform Honda's MotoGP form
Following Suzuki's decision to quit MotoGP, both of its former riders have landed at Honda for 2023. But perhaps its biggest signing from the now-defunct team could instead be a highly-rated technical manager. Is Ken Kawauchi the right man at the right time to steer HRC back to glory?
How the MotoGP paddock has offered refuge to Suzuki's former team
Suzuki's unexpected departure left more than 40 professionals virtually jobless for the 2023 MotoGP season. But that human drama has been successfully corrected by the paddock itself, with most former Suzuki crew members absorbed into other operations.
How one MotoGP team went from title challengers to losing it all in four years
The Petronas Sepang Racing Team came into MotoGP with a bang in 2019 as regular front-runners, with wonder rookie Fabio Quartararo mounting a title challenge in 2020. But it all went wrong for the Razlan Razali-helmed squad as the team changed hands and tumbled down the order - and RNF Racing plans to right this in 2023
Is Marc Marquez ready to reclaim his MotoGP throne?
Marc Marquez’s sixth premier MotoGP title seems a long time ago given the injury woes he has faced in the three years since. At the end of a fraught 2022, in which he had a fourth major operation on his right arm, the Spaniard speaks exclusively to Motorsport.com.
How MotoGP's underachiever is working to reverse its fortunes in 2023
As European manufacturers emerged as the strongest force in 2022 in a changing of the guard for MotoGP, one powerhouse couldn’t quite match the feats of Ducati and Aprilia. Its motorsport chief tells Motorsport.com why this is and what it is doing to become a consistent frontrunner in the class of kings
How MotoGP riders are preparing for the physical stress of sprint races
With the expansion of the calendar to 21 grands prix and the introduction of sprint races, the 2023 MotoGP season will take the riders to almost 1,300 kilometres of more competition than this year, a factor that forces adjustments in their physical preparations.
Luca Marini: Why he's more than just Valentino Rossi's brother
Surname pressure is something many have had to deal with in their motorsport careers. And while Luca Marini doesn’t have that, his familial relation and the team he rides for in MotoGP have cast a brighter spotlight on his progress. But, as he has shown in 2022 – and as he reveals to Motorsport.com – Marini is so much more than just the brother of a legend.
Ranking the top 10 MotoGP riders of 2022
The 2022 MotoGP season was another hotly contested championship, with Francesco Bagnaia emerging as the title winner after the campaign went to the wire. Motorsport.com picks out the 10 best performers of the season
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.