        It&rsquo;s Friday 26 August, and time for a morning comparison! Today we&rsquo;re looking at the MotoGP class, the most followed and hotly debated. And we select two well-known faces, the first of which still races, the other with four-wheelers. Their names are Fabio Quartararo and Valentino Rossi, apparently dissimilar, and yet they have at least one thing in common - Yamaha.&nbsp; Vale and El Diablo, different arrivals at Yamaha  In 2003 Vale was successfully riding for Honda and, while putting together his fifth world title, was &lsquo;called&rsquo; up to the Iwata court. Or rather, the parties would hold secret meetings in the paddock, before Davide Brivio ultimately travelled to Ibiza to convince the Italian ace. Lengthy talks and initial contact between Rossi and the M1 finally led to a decision &ndash; we Japanese choose you, do you, man in yellow, choose us? And we know exactly how it went. Number 46 left Repsol HRC at the end of the season, to wear blue the following year. And it was an immediate success. There were less secrets, tensions and &lsquo;distractions&rsquo; when the Frenchman landed in Yamaha&rsquo;s orbit. Firstly, El Diablo was still racing in Moto2 when he was offered the M1. It was 2018 and the Frenchman was with the Speed Up team. His move to the reigning class came about thanks to team Petronas, a non-factory team with which Quarta would complete three seasons, coming close to the title win in 2020. &nbsp;A record Rossi, a progressive Fabio  As we&rsquo;ve said, Valentino won right away. Remember Welkom 2004? At the inaugural round, Rossi showed everyone how it was done, powering the much criticised M1 to victory. But the M1 had changed in the meantime as Brivio, as well as offering vast sums of money, promised a shakeup of the racing department, a totally revised engine, constant updates, Jeremy Burgess&rsquo; team (already with the rider at Honda) and Michelin tyres. In accepting, all the Italian had to do was &lsquo;twist the throttle&rsquo;, and that is just what he did. He secured the title that season, and again in 2005, setting records left, right and centre, for both Yamaha and himself. Fabio was young when he arrived at Petronas SRT, with everything to learn, about the category, yes, and the bike, sure, but also about his rivals and the tracks&hellip; Among the highs and lows of 2019 came podiums, specifically third and second place finishes. The rider who had come to Moto3 by way of a special agreement, despite the age limits not permitting it, soon showed that he was deserving of the Iwata bike. And the highest step of the rostrum? That came in 2020, on three occasions, when he looked to be on his way to the crown. But then came mistake after mistake, and his mission failed. It took the 2021 season to cancel out that disappointment and confirm his talent. Quartararo brought the Japanese manufacturer the desired result, a first for the French nation in the reigning class. And comparisons with Rossi began to be drawn.&nbsp; Rossi, Quarta and their team-mates  Almost all have been humiliated by both, but a little history is needed here. In 2004 and 2005 this was the case for Carlos Checa, Norifumi Abe, Marco Melandri, Colin Edwards, Toni Elias and Ruben Xaus. While they failed to score even one race win, Vale amassed twenty. An open and shut case. But then things began to change. Rossi secured the title again in 2008 and 2009 but the numbers looked different, as Jorge Lorenzo had arrived, loudly proclaiming his ambitions, despite a wall separating the riders in the factory garage. The Majorcan triumphed in 2010, assisted also by an injury for the Italian at Mugello. For the first time, this passing of the baton highlighted Jorge&rsquo;s hunger, with the rider doing it again in 2012 and 2015. Vale moved to Ducati, then returned to the M1. There were a few more race wins, but no more titles. When Quarta came to Yamaha SRT, Maverick Vinales was still performing at a high level. During the 2019 season, the Catalan rider scored two wins with the M1, Fabio zero. In 2020, the brand&rsquo;s standout rider proved to be Franco Morbidelli, who won three races and came very close to the ultimate prize. Fabio started strong, reaching the front only to plummet to eighth place. But then in 2021, he was able to maintain peak performance, while Maverick scored one win and Rossi and Dovizioso not even that. Yamaha can smile, but only thanks to the Frenchman. Fabio and Vale today  Quartararo is the reference point for the Japanese brand today. There&rsquo;s no room for anyone else. Only Fabio knows how to ride the M1 to the limit and only he can power it to victory. Franco Morbidelli is a shadow of his former self, Andrea Dovizioso is about to retire, Darryn Binder is experiencing MotoGP like something of a &lsquo;hit and run&rsquo;. Essentially the Frenchman is in the same situation as Rossi in 2004-5, when no one except Valentino was strong aboard the M1. The Italian is now a dad, he races cars and has fun training with the VR46 Academy. When he can, he visits the world championship paddock. At 43, the most successful rider of the modern age takes it all in, the numbers, the riders&rsquo; performance, the championship situation. Who knows if Vale would be pleased to be compared to Quarta. We&rsquo;ll ask him ourselves next time we see him. Traslated by Heather Watson Ducati, only Bagnaia has conquered the MotoGP &ldquo;primadonna&rdquo;       

As was the case for Valentino in his early years with the Iwata manufacturer, Fabio is the only rider able to fully exploit the M1. The Italian&rsquo;s colleagues performed on a par with those of El Diablo

Quartararo like Rossi in Yamaha: a possible comparison in MotoGP?

The current MotoGP has achieved almost unprecedented levels of competitiveness, with all the manufacturers on the grid capable of winning races that are often very close fought. Consider the results of the latest British GP, where the first fifteen riders crossed the line within 16 seconds of each other.  MotoGP has changed   A significant difference to what we used to see in the reigning class years ago, when the gaps were much bigger. Compared to the past, the atmosphere between the riders seems different too now, with no tension, a lot of smiling faces and almost zero controversy.  A situation far from that seen during the era of Valentino Rossi, Daniel Pedrosa, Jorge Lorenzo, Casey Stoner and Marc Marquez, all of whom were rivals both on and off the track.  Lorenzo&rsquo;s opinion   Lorenzo offers his opinion as to our observations above: &quot;Unlike in the past, today&rsquo;s riders all look to be friends&rdquo;, said Jorge during an interview with Cycle World.  &ldquo;Quartararo doesn&rsquo;t speak to Bagnaia in the same way I&rsquo;d talk to Rossi. Pecco doesn&rsquo;t talk to Jorge Mart&iacute;n like Rossi did with Stoner. Today they all have good relationships&rdquo;, continues the Majorcan.  &quot;I have great respect for every rider, but it&rsquo;s the fierce battles that the fans like&rdquo;, the five-time champion states, continuing to compare his era with the present day. &ldquo;Consider the look Gibernau gave Valentino at Jerez in 2005, the battles between Rossi and Stoner or Rossi and Biaggi. Those rivalries were in the air. It&rsquo;s the same in F1, where the rivalry between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, or Verstappen and Leclerc, is tangible&quot;.  A totally different climate, as we&rsquo;ve said, compared to what we see today. According to the former Yamaha, Honda and Ducati rider, rivalry in motorsport has always added something extra to the racing. Not like now, where &ldquo;Instagram and the pursuit of likes&rdquo; may be a reason why riders seek to be friendly with each other.  Jorge: &quot;Rossi had all the attention&quot;   Speaking of rivalry, Lorenzo experienced this for himself with Rossi: &quot;It was difficult for me. Without my strong personality, I&rsquo;d probably have been crushed psychologically because Valentino had all the attention&rdquo;, recalls #99, &ldquo;everyone loved Valentino and this made you feel very small&rdquo;, he states.  &ldquo;But I was determined and, once the visor went down, my only goal was to open the throttle and win. Beating Rossi with the same bike gave me so much satisfaction and popularity&rdquo;, concludes Lorenzo.  Translated by Heather Watson  MotoGP, Marc Marquez opens up: &ldquo;This is what I think of Valentino Rossi&rdquo; 

The Majorcan recalls his rivalry with the Italian, something that he believes is missing in the top class today

Jorge Lorenzo: &ldquo;Valentino Rossi would make you feel small&rdquo;

        Valentino Rossi is in the midst of his first season in the GT World Challenge Europe, a four-wheeled championship that sees him behind the wheel of the Audi R8 fielded by Team WRT. Valentino&rsquo;s intentions  The results are encouraging, considering Valentino is a category rookie who, at 43, is lining up against some much more experienced and very quick GT drivers. The Doctor&rsquo;s best results to date are two fifth-place finishes, with the next race set to take place at Hockenheim on 2 September, after which only two events remain. And so it&rsquo;s time for the nine-time world champion to start making plans for 2023 and it seems that he intends to race in the GTWC Europe once again. &ldquo;I think I&rsquo;ll be here in this championship again next year. This is my aim, and I can say that it&rsquo;s 90% certain I&rsquo;ll be here&rdquo;, commented Rossi ahead of July&rsquo;s Spa 24 Hours race. Valentino continued: &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think I&rsquo;ll race at Le Mans in 2023, but it&rsquo;s a race I&rsquo;d like to do sooner or later, maybe in 2024. Nothing is 100% certain but I think I&rsquo;ll compete in the GT World Challenge Europe again&rdquo;. Possible change afoot  A decision that is based on the results he&rsquo;s scored during this, his debut season: "I&rsquo;m quite happy and more or less where I expected to be, let&rsquo;s say. I&rsquo;m not bad in terms of speed, but I definitely need to improve and complete more miles over the season to understand how best to drive the car&rdquo;, admits Rossi. &ldquo;The positive is that I&rsquo;m having fun, I think we&rsquo;ve achieved some good results, at Misano and Paul Ricard for example, while we&rsquo;ve suffered a little more on other occasions, but overall I can say that the situation is positive.&rdquo; It remains to be seen with which team #46 will head out on track. The WRT squad is preparing to move to BMW as of 2024 and may already field the German GT cars next season, so Valentino will have to decide whether to switch cars or remain with a team that will run with Audis. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, Marc Marquez opens up: &ldquo;This is what I think of Valentino Rossi&rdquo;       

The Italian has hinted as to his plans for next season

GT: this is what Valentino Rossi will do in 2023

        Marc Marquez continues to make MotoGP headlines, despite his absence following a fourth surgery on the arm he injured more than two years ago. The reason? Because his statements always cause debate, whether good or bad, and his analysis is often intelligent and inciteful. From Quartararo to Pecco  And so it&rsquo;s no surprise that our colleagues at Marca have asked the eight-time champion to discuss the qualities and defects of some of his colleagues, including eternal rival Valentino Rossi. The first on the list is Fabio Quartararo: &ldquo;A strength? His speed&rdquo;, comments Marquez. &ldquo;Weak points? It&rsquo;s hard to find one and if I could, I wouldn&rsquo;t say as then he could work on it. He&rsquo;s the current champion after all&rdquo;, concludes the Spaniard. As for Francesco Bagnaia, Marquez believes that the Italian&rsquo;s strong point is his "serenity" while &ldquo;the weak point, I think, is that he hasn&rsquo;t yet battled for a MotoGP title. He&rsquo;s won races, but he doesn&rsquo;t have the experience of fighting for the title". Then, Joan Mir: &ldquo;A strength is his aggression, while a weak point can be race wins&rdquo;, says Marc, before moving on to Jorge Martin. According to #93, Martin has &ldquo;faith in his abilities and incredible speed over the flying lap&rdquo;, while his negative could be &ldquo;inexperience&rdquo;. Marquez on Rossi  And lastly, Rossi, the Spaniard&rsquo;s rival ever since the events of Sepang 2015: "His strength is his charisma&rdquo;, comments Marc, &ldquo;and his weak point? Well, what can you say about a nine-time champion? Sure, towards the end of his career there were some weak points, but if we take his career as a whole, there are none&rdquo;. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, Marc Marquez: &ldquo;When I return, my aim won&rsquo;t be to win&rdquo;       

The eight-time champion analyses the strengths and weaknesses of the former top class rider

MotoGP, Marc Marquez opens up: “This is what I think of Valentino Rossi”

        Valentino Rossi&rsquo;s home race at Misano brought him his best Sprint race result of the season so far, the Italian scoring a fifth place finish in the second race making up the Italian round of the GT World Challenge Europe. Rossi: "A good result"  A result that also came down to an impressive early recovery by team-mate Frederic Vervisch, with whom Rossi shares the wheel of the Audi R8 WRT. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m pleased to have scored our best result in race 2&rdquo;, commented the nine-time world champion. &ldquo;We didn&rsquo;t have a good starting position but Fred was able to make up five places on lap one. Our pitstop was very fast and my pace was good. I was able to hold my position and fifth is a good result&rdquo;, continues the Italian. The only downside was the race 1 retirement: &ldquo;I started well on Saturday but then lost two positions due to an accident in front of me. I was stuck behind a Mercedes for a good part of the race; I tried to pass but it was impossible. When we came into the garage for the driver changeover I knocked the car, puncturing the tyre and damaging a few other bits&rdquo;. Vervisch&rsquo;s words  And Vervisch is equally satisfied: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m very happy with the race 2 result after a disappointing qualifying and a tough race 1&rdquo;, stated Frederic, before commenting on the Doctor&rsquo;s performance. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s our best result in the Sprint Races to date, and we did it at Vale&rsquo;s home track too. Valentino managed his stint really well, standing up to the pressure, especially at the end. The podium&rsquo;s getting closer&rdquo;, said the experienced Belgian driver. Translated by Heather Watson MotoE, Pirro: "The feeling when braking and entering the corner is similar to the MotoGP"       

Frederic Vervisch shared the wheel of the Audi 46 with the Italian at the Misano round of the GTWC Europe: "Vale managed the pressure"

GT, Valentino Rossi applauded by his team-mate: “The podium’s close”

        Valentino Rossi is not racing anymore, at least not in MotoGP, and yet the Assen grandstands were brimming with yellow flags exalting 46, the fans celebrating not a win for the Doctor this time, but the results scored by two products of his Academy. VR46 on top  We&rsquo;re talking about Francesco Bagnaia and Marco Bezzecchi, first and second across the line in the Dutch GP, at the end of a solid race in which neither rider made the slightest mistake. While Pecco&rsquo;s performance is nothing new, the consistency demonstrated by Bez came as a surprise, the rider now looking to be on the right path after some difficulties in his first MotoGP races. As he made his lap of honour, Bezzecchi celebrated his first podium in the top class with a Valentino flag: &ldquo;I think the marshall wanted to give it to Pecco, but I took it and it was great to celebrate like that&rdquo;, commented the Romagnolo rider. &ldquo;Vale and his Academy have done an incredible job. Without him, I wouldn&rsquo;t be here, I send him a big hug&rdquo;. Rossi&rsquo;s tweet  Rossi wasn&rsquo;t there in the Van Drenthe paddock, but he nevertheless celebrated the results of &lsquo;his&rsquo; riders with a tweet: &ldquo;Bagnaia and Bezzecchi 1st and 2nd in MotoGP at Assen &ndash; Rossi wrote &ndash; an unforgettable day, made possible thanks to their talent and the amazing work of everyone at the VR46 Riders Academy, the VR46 Racing Team and Ducati&rdquo;. &ldquo;We'll enjoy today (Sunday), we&rsquo;re on top of the world&rdquo;, concluded the nine-time world champion. Translated by Heather Watson Quartararo against the Stewards Panel: &ldquo;Congratulations, I won&rsquo;t try to overtake again&rdquo;       

The nine-time world champion celebrates the results scored by two VR46 Academy pupils in The Netherlands

GP Assen, Valentino Rossi: “Bagnaia and Bezzecchi, we’re on top of the world”

        The 2022 edition of the Assen GP is the first without Valentino Rossi, who retired from MotoGP at the end of 2021 to dedicate himself to life as a dad and racing driver. But Valentino&rsquo;s name will be forever linked to that of the Dutch track, where the Doctor won ten races, the last of which in 2017. Rossi: "Assen, a stadium-type atmosphere"  The nine-time world champion is not present in the Assen paddock due to previous commitments with Team WRT at both Zandvoort and Spa-Franchorchamps, but he&rsquo;s still keen to extol the virtues of the Dutch track, albeit at a distance. &ldquo;I&rsquo;d have liked to be at Assen to see the MotoGP, my team, my brother and the VR46 riders. But unfortunately it wasn&rsquo;t possible as we already had a test scheduled in Belgium&rdquo;, Rossi tells website RaceSport.nl, without concealing his love for the track known as the university of motorcycling. &ldquo;The track layout is fantastic &ndash; admits Vale &ndash; I had the honour of riding the old configuration too, before the modifications were made in 2006. That version was long, fast and tough, amazing to ride. After that work it became a bit more like a normal circuit, but it&rsquo;s still beautiful&rdquo;. Rossi and his memory of 2017  And it&rsquo;s not only the track, as the Dutch fans are also special: &ldquo;The atmosphere is fantastic, especially through the final sector &ndash; in the race it&rsquo;s like entering a stadium. I hope to return to TT Assen, even if it&rsquo;s only as a spectator&rdquo;. Valentino then delves into the memory books: &ldquo;Assen was one of my favourite tracks on the MotoGP calendar. I won ten races at Assen, the same as Barcelona. I also scored my final GP win there, in 2017, and I think that's my best memory of this track&rdquo;. Speaking of Dutch tracks, Valentino thinks it would be impossible to stage a MotoGP event at Zandvoort: &ldquo;No, I think the track has two or three points that are too dangerous. There&rsquo;s not enough space there for MotoGP. So it&rsquo;s best to keep Assen for MotoGP and Zandvoort for Formula 1", concludes the Audi WRT driver and GT World Challenge Europe competitor. Translated by Heather Watson Rins and Oliveira: a guaranteed future in MotoGP, but no signatures yet       

The former MotoGP rider, who now competes in the GTWC Europe, has never hidden his love for the Dutch track: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m sorry not to be there this year&rdquo;

Valentino Rossi: “I adore Assen, I carry the 2017 win in my heart”

        Since debuting in the world championship, Pedro Acosta has shown that he has clear ideas and a certain understanding when it comes to talking to the media, something we have seen again this season as he debuts in Moto2. A less than simple start, considering the difficulties he experienced in the opening races, was soon forgotten when he scored a significant win (and related record) at Mugello. Acosta: "It&rsquo;s easy to criticise"  A victory that put an end to recent criticism, something that the Spaniard addressed when talking to DAZN over the Catalunya weekend: "In Moto2 I started over from scratch and now I think it&rsquo;s time to continue to work as I&rsquo;ve been doing&rdquo;, explains Pedrito. At the same time, the young rider knows that it would be tough to repeat his 2021 feat, when he won the title at his first attempt: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m taking it race by race, the title is not my goal this year. I think I still have another season and a half in front of me in Moto2, so I think the best thing is to finish this year by preparing for next year". Enough of the comparisons  "We&rsquo;ve only run eight races, which sounds a lot but I've only been in Moto2 for two and a half months. It&rsquo;s easy to criticise and even easier when things start badly I think&rdquo;, says the Spaniard in response to comments he&rsquo;s received in recent months. Pedro then doubles down: &ldquo;No one can claim that another person is Marc Marquez because there&rsquo;s only one Marc Marquez. No one can claim that Marc Marquez is Valentino Rossi because there&rsquo;s only one Valentino Rossi. I just have to focus on my work", concludes an Acosta who is not scared to express his opinions in front of the camera. The biography  In the meantime, Acosta can celebrate another achievement - Jaime Alguersuari, father of former F1 driver Jaime Jr, has written a biography dedicated to the 17-year old. The work, entitled "Pedro Acosta. El campe&oacute;n mundial de 17 anos. La historia jam&agrave;s contada", was presented at the Barcelona circuit in the presence of Sito Pons, Alex Criville and Sete Gibernau. Translated by Heather Watson Roccoli: &ldquo;MotoE? I got the call Thursday and didn&rsquo;t know what to expect in FP1&rdquo;       

At Catalunya, the young Spaniard has been quick to respond to those who were criticising him before his recent win at Mugello

Moto2: Pedro Acosta denies comparisons with Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez

        Saturday 28 May proved to be a memorable day for Valentino Rossi, who was at Mugello in the morning for the ceremony that saw his legendary number 46 withdrawn from competition. The withdrawal of #46  A moment that moved the fans in attendance at the Tuscan racetrack. "Thanks everyone&rsquo;s, it&rsquo;s been great, it&rsquo;s been fun&rdquo;, commented Valentino at the end of the ceremony. &ldquo;And this ceremony has been fun too, doing it here at Mugello has a special flavour, as this was always my home GP.&rdquo; Vasco: "Rossi is the greatest"  Having left the Italian track, Valentino travelled to Imola in the evening in order to be at the concert of Vasco Rossi, one of his favourite singers. The two have been friends for years, the rockstar even inviting the nine-time world champion onto the stage during the event. &ldquo;I want to say hi to the greatest of all time - Valentino Rossi&rdquo;, said Vasco before inviting Valentino up. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s the greatest of them all&rdquo;, concluded the singer after embracing the former MotoGP rider. Translated by Heather Watson GP Mugello: Aprilia surprises everyone and introduces the big F1-style winglet             Visualizza questo post su Instagram  Un post condiviso da FRANCESCA SOFIA NOVELLO (@francescasofianovello)            

Following the ceremony in his honour at the Italy GP, the Doctor was at the rockstar&rsquo;s concert at Imola: here&rsquo;s what happened

Vasco Rossi invites Valentino Rossi onto the stage: the words that moved the fans

        Marc Marquez is going through one of the toughest periods of his career, having to deal with the technical delays relating to the Honda RC213V as well as the physical difficulties resulting from the accidents that have marked his last seasons. Marquez, loyal to Honda  A situation about which the Spaniard has spoken openly with DAZN: &ldquo;I now have to ride with a different style, I have to study different strategies. Riding like this isn&rsquo;t my preferred way, but sometimes the thinig you don&rsquo;t like is the very thing that works&rdquo;, explains the eight-time champion, who is doing all he can to preserve his vision, which has been put to the test with recent episodes of diplopia: &ldquo;Every month I go for a check-up where the doctors check the eye, the retina and everything&rdquo;. The meagre results scored in the first seven races of the year haven&rsquo;t undermined Marquez&rsquo;s faith in the Tokyo manufacturer: &ldquo;Leave Honda? No, it&rsquo;s my team for life&rdquo;, he clarifies. &ldquo;I have other motivations, rather than trying another brand or another team, I have other motivations, like fighting for another title, but with this team, not with another. After all, it&rsquo;s becoming increasingly clear that the ideal bike, the fastest bike, doesn&rsquo;t exist, it depends on your riding style&rdquo;. Rossi and Pedrosa  Marquez ends by touching on Daniel Pedrosa and Valentino Rossi: &ldquo;Dani taught me a lot. When I arrived, he had been in MotoGP for eight or ten years, I looked at his telemetry and can say that I learned a lot in 2013&rdquo;. &ldquo;Valentino? I admire what he did, what he accomplished in motorcycling, not only in terms of titles. He&rsquo;s the rider who has moved people and taught the most to so many riders. Maybe you get on with eachother, maybe you disagree, but we don&rsquo;t all have to be friends&rdquo;, concludes the Spaniard. Translated by Heather Watson Moto3, Simoncelli tough on Fellon: &ldquo;He tries to justify his inability&rdquo;       

The Spaniard opens up in a long interview with DAZN, talking about his physical condition, Honda and his historic rival

MotoGP, Marc Marquez admits: “I admire Valentino Rossi”

        Valentino Rossi prepares to land in the Metaverse. An agreement between VR46 and The Hundred company has resulted in the birth of VR46 Metaverse, a joint venture launched with one clear objective, or rather to create a virtual platform where fans can meet with the nine-time world champion, or rather his avatar. Rossi: "An exciting adventure"  "Entering this sector is a really exciting adventure that I&rsquo;ve chosen to take on in a structured way, together with high-level partners&rdquo;, comments the nine-time world champion. &ldquo;I love the idea of being able to reach fans all around the world, offering them the VR46 atmosphere and excitement using new technologies, and I think that this project represents a very important step for the brand.&rdquo; Valentino moves with the times  VR46 Metaverse will try to recreate, within the virtual world, a global platform dedicated to the Doctor, the VR46 Racing Team and the Academy, on which the #46 fans can meet. Initial content will be published later this year. Valentino is just the latest in a series of stars to delve into the Metaverse, following in the footsteps of PSG player Marco Verratti, Paris Hilton and Snoop Dogg. A decision that demonstrates the Doctor&rsquo;s desire to keep up with the times, considering that, according to some estimates, 25% of the world&rsquo;s population will be spending at least one hour a day in the metaverse by 2025, as they explore new interests. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, Rivola: &ldquo;The delay with Aleix&rsquo;s renewal is not a strategy&rdquo;       

The Italian has founded VR46 Metaverse, a company that will develop products relating to the Doctor&rsquo;s brand within this new web-based frontier

MotoGP: Valentino Rossi prepares to land in the Metaverse

        The Portimao track marked the world championship&rsquo;s return to Europe, and now the circus moves on to Jerez for round six. The Andalusian track has hosted the Spanish GP since 1989 and is therefore one of the most featured circuits on the championship calendar. There&rsquo;s everything to play for in the reigning class, a symptom of a very balanced and unpredictable championship. Many riders are likely to be fighting to the podium, from Fabio Quartararo, fresh from his latest win and the victor at Jerez in 2020, to Jack Miller, who triumphed last year ahead of Pecco Bagnaia and Franco Morbidelli. Without forgetting Marc Marquez, who has won at the Spanish track three times, beating Valentino Rossi and Daniel Pedrosa in 2014, triumphing over Johann Zarco and Andrea Dovizioso in 2018, and finishing ahead of Alex Rins and Maverick Vinales in 2019. Valentino Rossi 7-time winner in the top class  The rider best able to interpret the technical Spanish track (considering only the reigning class) has been Valentino Rossi, who has won at Jerez on seven occasions. 2001 to 2003 brought three consecutive victories, followed by that of 2005 when Rossi beat Sete Gibernau at the end of an intense duel that came to a head with the famous "shove". The nine-time champion was back on top in 2007 and 2009, before winning for the last time in 2016, when he got the better of Jorge Lorenzo and Marc Marquez. Four Spaniards behind Mick Doohan  Rossi is followed in this special classification by Mick Doohan, a four-time winner at Jerez, in 1991, 1992, 1994 and 1996. The Australian champion precedes a high-quality Spanish quartet as, with three wins apiece, we have Marc Marquez, Jorge Lorenzo, Daniel Pedrosa and Alex Criville. The Majorcan won in 2010 in front of Daniel Pedrosa and Valentino Rossi, in 2011 ahead of Daniel Pedrosa and Nicky Hayden and in 2015 in front of Marc Marquez and Valentino Rossi. The Sabadell native also won on three occasions, in 2008, when he beat Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo, in 2013, over Marc Marquez and Jorge Lorenzo and lastly in 2017, in a repeat of the same podium. Alex Criville also did the treble, with no rivals at his home track between 1997 and 1999. Also of note are Fabio Quartararo&rsquo;s two wins in 2020 (the Spanish and Andalusian races), Sete Gibernau&rsquo;s win in 2004 and the victories of Loris Capirossi and Casey Stoner in 2006 and 2012 respectively. Translated by Heather Watson 2023 MotoGP market, Lin Jarvis talks Fabio Quartararo&rsquo;s renewal       

The world championship is about to land at Jerez for the sixth round of the season. Valentino Rossi has been the most successful at the Spanish track, followed by Mick Doohan

MotoGP: Valentino Rossi the most successful at Jerez, Miller the last to win

        Valentino Rossi is among the sportspersons to be honoured by ITA Airways, with the airline choosing to name some of its airbuses - all strictly blue in colour of course - after various Italian sports stars. Rossi with Agostini and Simoncelli  Rossi&rsquo;s name joins those of other sporting heroes who have made Italian history, the likes of Paolo Rossi, Pietro Mennea, Gino Bartali and Fausto Coppi, as well as two other motorcycle legends, namely Giacomo Agostini and Marco Simoncelli. ITA Airways has paid tribute to the Doctor with an Instagram post: &ldquo;Nine world titles and the only rider in history to have won in four different classes. Always with the number 46. Here&rsquo;s our Airbus A350 dedicated to world motorcycling legend Valentino Rossi. What a sight." And Valentino was quick to respond in kind: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s great to see my name on your plane. I&rsquo;m pleased to be one of ITA Airways&rsquo; Blue Legends&rdquo;, responded #46.             Visualizza questo post su Instagram  Un post condiviso da ITA Airways (@itaairways_official)      Translated by Heather Watson Moto3, three bikes for team Aspar at the Portugal GP: here&rsquo;s who will ride them       

The Italian airline has decided to pay tribute to the Italian champion as part of its "Blue Legends" project, which also involves the names of other sporting greats

Valentino Rossi an ITA Airways 'Blue Legend': his name on a plane

        The Valentino Rossi-Ducati pairing that we witnessed in the 2011-2012 world championship had the Italian fans dreaming. Had the Italian rider won with the Italian bike it would have seen him write yet another page in the history books.&nbsp; Domenicali&rsquo;s view  But this was not the case, and the Doctor was only able to score three podiums aboard the Desmosedici, a debacle that saw him return to Yamaha in 2013. It was there that the nine-time champion remained, until he decided to retire at the end of 2021. Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali looks back to that time but reveals he has no regrets: &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t regret having raced together, we were just not made for each other at that time. The bike had been developed for Casey Stoner and it was very difficult for a rider who was used to more balanced bike behaviour&rdquo;, he tells Motorcycle News. &ldquo;Today&rsquo;s Ducati is very different from the one he rode for two years, I think he would have been competitive with the 2021 bike&rdquo;, opines Domenicali, convinced that Rossi could have done a lot more with a more docile, versatile bike. Domenicali: "Rossi irreplaceable"  Now that Rossi is no longer racing in MotoGP, it is up to Ducati (and Aprilia) to fly the Italian flag in the world championship &ndash; no easy feat, but the red bike has shown itself to be up to the task. &ldquo;I think Valentino is irreplaceable, a unique figure who was the personification of talent, determination, results and congeniality. As well as incredible longevity&rdquo;, comments Domenicali. &ldquo;On the other hand, though, our brand has history, it&rsquo;s very solid and is a brand with which Italians identify. And I don&rsquo;t just mean in racing terms, but also the technology. A little like Ferrari in F1&rdquo;, he concludes. Translated by Heather Watson Look out for Suzuki, MotoGP outsiders: the title is possible       

The Ducati CEO looks back at Valentino&rsquo;s years aboard the red bike: "We don&rsquo;t regret having raced together&rdquo;

MotoGP, Domenicali: “Rossi would have been fast with the 2021 Ducati”

Carmelo Ezpeleta is being kept busy with the various difficulties relating to the world championship. One of the latest was the tricky transportation of some of the containers from Indonesia to Argentina. MotoGP has now moved on to Austin and, as we wait to see the riders back on track, Carmelo Ezpeleta has carried out an interview with Spanish website solomoto.es, in which he covers many topics, including Valentino Rossi&rsquo;s retirement.  Ezpeleta: &ldquo;I won&rsquo;t cry for Valentino&rdquo;   The journalist drew a comparison between Valentino Rossi leaving MotoGP and Lionel Messi leaving Barcelona, two transitions that weren&rsquo;t in fact too difficult to digest: &ldquo;I admit that the comparison is a good one, a fair one&rdquo;, comments Ezpeleta, &ldquo;but with the same sincerity, I can tell you that I didn&rsquo;t cry for Messi and won&rsquo;t for Rossi either. I think that, in both cases, there is gratitude on the part of all the fans who were able to enjoy what these two phenomenal sportsmen gave them for so many years. Particularly Valentino, whose career was longer than that of the Argentinian champion&rdquo;.  &ldquo;The championship is stronger than the stars who leave&rdquo;   The Dorna CEO clarifies one point: &ldquo;But if this is a way of insinuating that since Rossi has left, the whole motorcycle racing world needs to be changed, then that&rsquo;s not the case at all. There is nothing to change in MotoGP because it has its own consolidated importance, even if a charismatic rider like Valentino leaves. I don&rsquo;t sell marketing products, and Dorna has never intentionally tried to create a personality, fuel a rivalry or push the image of a rider to make him more or less popular. Sure, Valentino drew in an entire generation, but it&rsquo;s also true that in recent years he didn&rsquo;t experience much success, and this was because the generation of riders that followed him is also a very talented generation. I experienced the post-American and post-Doohan era... I&rsquo;ve already been through it and the championship has always been stronger than the stars who leave&rdquo;.  Translated by Heather Watson  Tragedy shakes MotoGP ahead of the Americas GP 

The Dorna CEO takes a firm stand in relation to Valentino Rossi&#39;s departure &nbsp;

MotoGP, Ezpeleta: &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t cry for Messi, I won&rsquo;t for Rossi&rdquo;

        Throughout his career as a professional rider, Valentino Rossi has (almost) always been supported by one man. Not a parent or a coach, but a friend, the same age as him, who goes by the name of Alessio Salucci, or &ldquo;Uccio&rdquo;. The first person with which to share joy and pain, but while it all began with a view to simply having fun and supporting each other, in the long term &ldquo;Uccio&rdquo; became someone to trust in a practical sense, an assistant to all intents and purposes. The person who makes the rider&rsquo;s life easier. Valentino Rossi&rsquo;s inseparable friend  In a video for motogp.com Rossi himself remarks: &ldquo;I was the first to bring a friend into the garage. I paved the way there too. Before that there were other people who would help out or work, but I preferred to have my friend, so in the evening, if I was in Japan for example, I could talk to him about normal things, about what was going on in Tavullia. That made things less boring. He invented a job. That&rsquo;s a great thing&rdquo;. From then on, various riders would follow suit, from Marc Marquez to Franco Morbidelli. Their friendship has lasted a lifetime: &ldquo;Uccio grew up with me, he&rsquo;s always been an assistant as well as my best friend ever since kindergarten. We&rsquo;d go out and he&rsquo;d come to my house or me to his, and now here we are, 35 years later". "Uccio", Rossi&rsquo;s right-hand man  But what does &ldquo;Uccio&rdquo; actually do? The man himself says: &ldquo;From when he gets up to when he goes to bed, a rider has a thousand things to do. So I try to ease some of that work, removing anything from his mind that might bother him. Even little things, like taking his leathers, ensuring everything&rsquo;s in the right place in the garage. Having a person you can trust&rdquo;. After all, friends are the family you choose, a definition that couldn&rsquo;t be more apt in this case. Translated by Heather Watson Chicho Lorenzo: &ldquo;Marc Marquez? Luca Cadalora was right&rdquo;       

The Doctor has made his mark, not only on the history of motorcycling but also on a more human level

MotoGP, Valentino Rossi: “I paved the way bringing Uccio into the garage"

        After a lengthy career on two wheels, Valentino Rossi is about to officially embark on his adventure as a racing driver. The Italian will line up for the opening round of the GT World Challenge Europe, which will play out at the Imola circuit on 1-3 April. A new life for Rossi and Pedrosa  But the Doctor won't be the only motorcycle legend to get behind the wheel of a car, as we&rsquo;ll also see Daniel Pedrosa out on the Santerno track. The Spaniard will compete in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo, the Bologna manufacturer&rsquo;s single-brand series that will race at the same track as the GTWCE. Same track, different championships then for two riders who have made history in the world championship and are now ready for battle once more, albeit at a distance and in different series. An action-packed weekend  Pedrosa will share the team FFF Huracan ST Evo with Antonin Borga and be coached by Formula 1 driver Vitantonio Liuzzi. The Doctor is in for a longer and more intense challenge, competing with the Audi WRT team in all ten races of the GT World Challenge Europe. The Italian&rsquo;s weekend will culminate with the 3 Hours of the GT World Challenge Europe, the Endurance Cup, which will take place on Sunday between 3pm and 6pm after morning qualifying (9-10 am). Saturday 2 April is dedicated to practice (9-10.30am) and Pre-Qualifying (2.05-3.35pm). The Lamborghini Super Trofeo in which Pedrosa will compete will take to the track on Saturday 2 April, from 4.05 to 4.55pm for Race 1 and on Sunday 3 April, from 11.50am to 12.40pm, for Race 2. Translated by Heather Watson GT: the results of Valentino Rossi&rsquo;s first test at Paul Ricard       

Over the weekend of 2-3 April, the two former riders will be out on track for round one of their new careers &ndash; same track, different categories

GT, Rossi and Pedrosa to challenge at Imola

        Razlan Razali and Valentino Rossi had the chance to work together during the 2021 season, the Doctor&rsquo;s last season in MotoGP, when the Malaysian was head of the Yamaha Petronas SRT team now sponsored by WithU. Razali and Rossi&rsquo;s first meeting  A partnership that started positively but ended badly, so much so that the Italian was convinced to hang up his helmet once and for all. But the Malaysian and the Italian didn&rsquo;t in fact meet for the first time in 2021, but rather way back in 2005. Razali himself admits this in the MotoGP Unlimited docuseries currently available on the Prime Video platform. The manager recalls his first (less than idyllic) meeting with Valentino, during that year&rsquo;s winter tests. The Valentino &lsquo;curse&rsquo;  The relationship between Razali and Rossi has never been great, with Razali admitting on more than one occasion that he regretted hiring #46 in 2021. During the Amazon series, the team manager talks more about this discord: &ldquo;I was a huge Valentino fan and very excited when Rossi came to the winter tests at Sepang for the first time in 2005&rdquo;, remembers Razali. &ldquo;I asked if he&rsquo;d sign my book and he walked by without saying a word, he didn&rsquo;t think twice. In that moment, I thought &lsquo;you come to my country and do that to me? You&rsquo;ll never win another championship&rdquo;. Something of a 'curse', which didn&rsquo;t stop Valentino from winning two more titles in 2008-2009 before giving way to a 12-year drought. &ldquo;I lost interest in him after that, until there was a chance to have him as a rider. That&rsquo;s life, that&rsquo;s karma. I never told him, I&rsquo;m admitting it here for the first time&rdquo;, concludes an honest Razali. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, Puig: &ldquo;The best generation was that of Lorenzo, Stoner and Pedrosa&rdquo;       

In the MotoGP Unlimited docuseries, the Malaysian manager recounts a curious anecdote involving the nine-time champion

MotoGP, Rossi and the Razali “curse”: “You won’t win again”

        In an interview with Solomoto, the Spanish manager analyses recent generations of reigning class riders and selects what he considers to be the best. The current Repsol Honda Team Director has a long career behind him. After retiring from competition in 1997, he worked as a talent scout for many years, discovering riders like Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa (he was also the Spaniard&rsquo;s personal manager). During said interview, Puig spoke about the Stoner/Pedrosa/Lorenzo age, which he believes is better than the current generation. Puig: "Rossi and Marquez come from an instinctive generation"  Today&rsquo;s MotoGP consists of many young riders, from Mir to Quartararo, already world champions, to Bastianini, winner of this season&rsquo;s first round. The generational changeover is clear to see, with a 29-year old Marc Marquez already one of the category&rsquo;s veterans. The rider level is very high, due also to a very balanced field of manufacturers, with very little between them. The "Fantastic 4" era, in which the races were almost always monopolised by the same riders is now a distant memory and perhaps this is the reason why Alberto Puig has such clear ideas as to which is the best generation: &ldquo;With all due respect for the current riders, the generation that I knew so well, with Stoner, Pedrosa or Lorenzo, was definitely better than the current generation. Those three were of exceptional quality and potential". The three riders that the Spanish manager mentions made their mark on the world championship and MotoGP, both for their overall results &ndash; with two titles for Stoner, five for Lorenzo and three for Pedrosa (in the minor classes), but also for their personalities and riding styles. Puig chooses to exclude Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez from this group, putting them in their own special category: &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t count Rossi and Marquez as they come from an instinctive generation". Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, Bastianini will aim for the double in Indonesia, but...&ldquo;It won&rsquo;t be easy&rdquo;       

The Honda Team Director explains how he preferred the previous generation of riders. Although Marquez and Rossi appear to be exceptions, for one specific reason

MotoGP, Puig: “The best generation was that of Lorenzo, Stoner and Pedrosa”

        Valentino Rossi has completed his first official tests ahead of the GT World Challenge Europe that will kick off in less than a month. The Italian was out at the Paul Ricard circuit with team-mates Nico M&uuml;ller and Fr&eacute;d&eacute;ric Vervisch, who will share the driving of the WRT team&rsquo;s Audi R8 this season. Rossi at the wheel on day two  The tests ran over two days, on Monday 7 and Tuesday 8 March. Rossi was not on track on day one, although he was on hand to present the car&rsquo;s livery, while on day two he clocked up some more miles in the German car. The #46 Audi rounded out the first session of the day in 22nd place, with a time of 1:54.331 and 82 laps completed. The best time was set by the Al Manar Racing by HRT team&rsquo;s Mercedes-AMG GT3 (1:52.533). In the afternoon, Rossi &amp; Co improved on both their position and their time, placing 18th thanks to a 1:53.960 (53 laps). The best reference was achieved by the Audi R8 LMS GT3 of French team Sainteloc Racing (1:52.971). The Doctor&rsquo;s first official engagement is scheduled for the weekend of 1-3 April, when the Imola track will host the 2022 GTWC Europe season opener. Translated by Heather Watson Rossi in the pink - Valentino and Francesca&rsquo;s daughter has arrived       

Having completed private tests at Misano and Imola, the Doctor was out on track at the French circuit alongside the other GT World Challenge Europe drivers. Here&rsquo;s how it went

128 risultati per 'EN valentino rossi'