MotoGP | Valentino Rossi retirement, “Regrets? 2015 hurt"

MotoGP GP Valencia Yamaha Petronas SRT 2021 – Valentino Rossi closed a very long and extraordinary career under the checkered flag of the Valencia Grand Prix, full of great successes and incredible emotions.

The Pesaro native finished the last GP of his career in tenth position, but beyond the result, the emotions gathered in the final stages of the race and after crossing the finish line are difficult to explain.

Valentino Rossi Statements GP Valencia Last Race MotoGP GP Valencia

“It was a special weekend, I was worried. I've been thinking about this moment for a long time but in the end it was a great weekend. I had great support from everyone, then it was exciting to see the Academy riders with my helmets. It was nice to see so much respect from all the riders and all the people in the paddock and it's not easy. Today I finished tenth and ended my career in the top ten of the 10 best riders in the world and I will remember this forever. I felt good all weekend. In qualifying, thanks to Pecco, I managed to reach the top ten. Today I found the motivation, as if I had to fight for the championship. The last race was important. It wasn't easy, because I had a lot of things to do but I had to be strong and focused. In the last few races we have worked well on the bike and they have given me great support. The season was long and not easy. The results weren't coming and I wanted to do my best here. This is my worst circuit and I didn't want to finish last. I worked hard and I think this is the best result of the season. I tried throughout the race not to think that it was the last race. It was a psychological challenge. In the end the bike was fine and I had fun. My only thought was not to be fooled by Franco. I know that he is one of the strongest riders in MotoGP. So I can tell him that even in the last race of his career he was behind me. Nice to have all the riders there after the flag. I wanted to make some serious mess. It was nice to see everyone happy like at a race or in the world championship. Today I wanted to be a driver until the end, this gave me the right push. Achieving a result like this is valid for the next ten years.

Statements Valentino Rossi Valencia Last MotoGP Race GP Valencia future

“On the one hand I'm happy to have more free time, racing in the car and being a dad, then we'll see how it will be. I hope I enjoy racing in a car as much as I do on a motorbike.”

Statements Valentino Rossi Valencia Last MotoGP Race Valencia GP Regrets and what he would change about the past

“The first thing I regret is that it's over. At the moment I see this as the last weekend of the season and not of my career, it will be difficult in March. I might regret not winning the tenth title, but I can't regret the nine titles and the results. If I had committed myself from the beginning like in the last 10 years I would have won a lot more, but as a young person you don't have the right mentality and I was a bit of a dickhead. What would I change about the past? I'll do the Valencia weekend in 2006 again, I would have concentrated better and prepared more and I wouldn't have crashed. In 2015 I did everything I had to and it wasn't my fault if I lost, that's definitely my biggest regret. In 2006 we could have lost after so many victories. The 2015 one would have been fantastic and would have extended my life as world champion by 6 more years, ending like this, through no fault of my own, hurt. Otherwise it was fantastic.”