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Did Valentino Rossi Make a Mistake in 2006?
Nearly a decade ago, Valentino Rossi was one of the biggest talents in MotoGP. He was Yamaha’s star, with 7 world championships under his belt.
His smile and charm won over everyone in the sport. Tens of thousands of people crowded into stands just to watch him race.
Many expected him to continue racing in MotoGP for years, breaking every record he could in the process.
And yet, he gave it all up at the end of the 2006 season.
In the aftermath of his 7th world championship, the Italian rider turned his sights on a new venture. Ferrari, seeking a replacement for Michael Schumacher, had decided to look to their fellow Italian.
Valentino performed several tests over the course of 2006 and performed very well considering his background. He did so well, in fact, that he ended up signing a contract with the legendary team.
Ferrari’s subsequent announcement during the 2006 Italian GP sent the country into a frenzy. Combining Italy’s two loves, Ferrari and Valentino Rossi, did wonders for both the team and Rossi’s popularity. As such, the 2007 season was one of the most highly anticipated F1 seasons in the sport’s history.
However, as the years have gone by, questions have come up concerning the aging Italian.
Rossi’s performance in F1 pales in comparison to his MotoGP career. He went from a championship contender, to getting a podium only a handful of times throughout the season.
Currently, after 7 years in the sport, Rossi has 9 wins and around 25 podiums, a far cry from his glory days.
The talented rider is not entirely to blame for his disappointing results though. He had the misfortune of entering the F1 scene with some incredible talents. Sebastian Vettel, Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, and Jenson Button to name a few. It also must be noted that there were several times where strategy, as well as mechanical failures have led to Rossi losing out on podiums and wins.
However, with that being said, it is now obvious that Rossi is not capable of replicating his former results in MotoGP. His performance has shown how difficult it is to move between motorsports, even if you are the cream of the crop. And with Fernando Alonso partnering with him at Ferrari and soundly beating him when it comes to qualifying and racing, Rossi’s inadequacies are showing more and more.
Time is rapidly running out for Rossi. While he maintains his popularity in Italy, in other countries, his continued presence on the grid has raised questions. With the new dominance from Mercedes and his own floundering performance , it is obvious that he will not be able to fight for a championship anytime soon.
New talent is quickly popping up everywhere as well. Look no further than Max Verstappen, the young teenager rumored to be joining the grid in 2015, despite being only 17. Many more riders like him linger in the background, putting pressure on not just Rossi, but Ferrari as well. And rumor has it that Ferrari is currently quietly shopping around for his replacement.
Which begs the question, what can Rossi do if he is suddenly replaced?
Rossi is already well past his prime. So there are doubts that he will land a long term stay at another team. There is a possibility of a WEC or Indycar seat, but time is running out for seats in those series.
And it’s not like he can return to MotoGP. Rossi’s old stomping grounds have been taken over by the aliens, Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa. And while Casey Stoner, the other alien, has left the sport, another star is already making waves.
Marc Marquez is only 21 years old and already a MotoGP, Moto2, and Moto3 champion. He is a favorite to win the 2014 title as well, considering the fact that he has already won multiple races in a row this season. His star power is expected to grow over the years, as the sport embraces its newest talent.
Sadly, it’s becoming more clear than ever that there will be no more room anywhere for Valentino Rossi soon.
And to answer the question this title poses, this reporter firmly believes that Valentino Rossi made the biggest mistake of his career when he chose Ferrari over Yamaha.
—-
Marc loves riding in Catalonia.
It didn’t matter what type of track and/or bike he was on. He just loved to race at home.
So, when he was asked to attend the 2014 F1 Spanish GP, Marc made sure to schedule some time in for racing at a motocross track in Barcelona.
He had hoped that Alex would be able to join him. Unfortunately though, Alex had been tied up with sponsorship obligations, so he couldn’t go to the track with him. Though, he was at least going to be able to fly in for the race that weekend so they could go together.
On one hand, Marc was thrilled that Alex was slowly gaining his own private sponsors. On the other hand, he was disappointed that Alex would be unable to go to the Motocross track with him.
But, Marc told himself that it was fine. They would just have to go to the local motocross track back home when they went back for summer break. And they could always come back to this track at some other point if Marc really liked it.
For now though, it would just be Marc.
Marc convinces one of his cousins to drive his equipment down to the track for him, paying him a pretty penny for his troubles.
Hey, he had to spend that prize money somehow.
Marc also contacts the track owner personally in order to set up the visit. He made sure that the track would be open and verified that everything was in place for him to come by.
It’s a bit of a headache logistically. But, all of his efforts are worth it the second Marc swings his leg over the bike.
Despite racing in MotoGP, Marc still had a fondness for riding on dirt tracks. And days like today really reminded him of why that was.
There was nothing like the thrill of a motocross run. Marc raced to his heart's content as he raced around the track, his heart pounding in his chest.
His face actually hurt from the force of his smile. It was like he was a little kid again, throwing himself around on his bike like nothing else in the world mattered.
Sure, he loved the glitz and glam that came with being a MotoGP champion. But, it was here, on the dirt tracks in Catalonia, where he truly felt at home.
After a while, Marc decides to take a break at the end of one of his runs. He pulls over to the side, intending to just take a quick five minute break before going back on the track.
That’s when he sees him.
There’s a little hospitality area set up right next to where Marc had stopped. There were several tables set up for riders to take a breather at. Beside the tables was a small food truck manned by a bored teenager watching sports on a small tv set placed on the counter, as well as a restroom area.
Currently, there was only one rider sitting in the hospitality area. It was a guy, if Marc had to guess, and he was pretty tall, dressed in a dark blue race suit with neon green accents on it. There was a bike next to him, which was clearly a very expensive model.
But, what catches Marc’s attention is the fact that the man was still wearing his helmet, despite not being on the track.
Most people chose to take off their helmets between runs, since it could be uncomfortable to wear it for too long without a break. So it confused Marc to see someone willingly wearing it in the hospitality area.
Marc’s first thought is that maybe this was a rookie rider. Maybe the man was someone who had just started getting into the sport, so he dropped a bunch of cash on the best equipment. But, he didn’t quite know how to use said equipment.
Then, Marc remembered that the track was currently closed to beginner level riders. For the time being, only experienced riders would be allowed to ride, in an effort to avoid collisions between beginners and more experienced riders.
That meant that the man had to have a lot of experience riding.
So now his actions made even less sense.
Marc was tempted to just leave the man behind and go back onto the track. Sunset was rapidly approaching after all, so he didn’t have much time left to spend at the track.
But, something tells Marc not to go just yet.
And Marc had learned not to ignore his gut feelings.
So, instead of leaving, Marc decides to strike up a conversation with the weird man.
Marc takes off his helmet and walks over to the table with his helmet and bike. When he reaches him, the man looks up at Marc.
Marc offers him a smile in turn and gestures towards the empty seat next to the man.
“Can I join you?” Marc asks.
The man, who Marc decides to call Helmet in his head, doesn’t say anything. Instead, Helmet types out something on his phone and holds it up for Marc to see.
<I don’t speak Catalan. Sorry.>
Marc blinks.
Oh, Helmet must be either new to Barcelona, or some sort of tourist.
“That’s fine. Can you speak Spanish?” Marc tries.
Helmet lets out a barely audible sigh and types out another message.
<Yes, I can speak Spanish. But, I do not want to speak right now.>
Now, this is the moment where a normal person would take the hint and just leave.
However, Marc isn’t normal. And he is now way too intrigued by Helmet to leave him alone.
“I won’t bother you. I just want to sit here with you.” Marc said.
Helmet seems to think this over. Then, he finally gestures for Marc to take a seat before taking out his phone.
Marc grins at his victory and happily sits down beside Helmet.
Marc decides to give Helmet a few minutes before striking up another conversation. So, he takes out his phone and starts reviewing some work emails he had gotten that day from his team and manager.
They sit in silence together, with the only noise coming from the tv at the food truck and the sound of riders occasionally passing by them on the trail. No one stops to join them though.
Marc half listens to the tv as he works on his emails. However, a certain snippet suddenly catches his attention
… Rossi…
Marc’s head snaps up so fast, it’s almost comical.
The tv was currently showing a sports reporter, who was walking around the Circuit de Barcelona - Catalunya. He was giving some sort of report on the drivers for the race.
Valentino Rossi is among the drivers eager to come back to this track. After all, he has had a lot of success here in the past. Though, that was on two wheels, not four.
Marc’s eye twitches a bit at the reporter’s words. Out of the corner of his eye, he notices that Helmet had clenched his fist.
Ah, a fellow Valentino fan.
Meanwhile, the reporter continues to speak.
Of course, Valentino Rossi is not one of the racers expected to win this weekend’s race. Many are predicting that Lewis Hamilton will take the trophy home this time.
But, it does make me wonder how much longer we will see Valentino in F1. Perhaps we will see that long awaited retirement announcement in Monza later this year.
Marc can’t help but roll his eyes at that.
He couldn’t say that he was surprised that the reporter was hinting at a Rossi retirement. That topic had been covered at length for the last few months.
It was still incredibly annoying though.
“Fucking bastard…” Marc mutters under his breath.
It comes out louder than he wanted it to. Though, after he says it, Helmet turns to look at him for a moment, before typing something on his phone and showing it to Marc.
<I’m guessing you aren’t much of a Rossi fan?>
Marc blinks at the phone, then at Helmet.
“Uh, no. I am a huge Rossi fan.” Marc said.
Helmet freezes at that. He looks at Marc for a while, before typing out another message.
<I thought you were a Pedrosa fan.>
Marc’s lips twitch.
Ah, so Helmet had recognized him. The thought makes Marc feel a bit smug.
Okay, very smug.
Marc wasn’t surprised that the man thought that he liked Dani more than Valentino Rossi. His PR team had pushed him to focus on his relationship with Dani, so he had mentioned him more when he did interviews about his MotoGP heroes.
But, Marc had always looked up to Valentino, even more than he looked up to Dani. For as long as he could remember, he had followed the Italian’s racing career.
Heck, he had started watching F1 just so he could continue to watch Valentino race.
But, Dani was his teammate, and Honda wanted to focus on how well they got along, despite their title battle in 2013.
Besides, Valentino was a bit of a controversial topic in MotoGP. Sure, a lot of riders, team members, and fans still looked up to Valentino to that day. And many still praised him.
However, under that praise, was frustration and resentment.
Even now, there were people who were upset about Valentino leaving MotoGP for F1. Many people saw it as a betrayal and whispers about Valentino selling out for monetary gain were rampant in the paddock.
Personally, Marc didn’t see it that way. But he understood why people thought that.
Of course, this random rider wouldn’t know that though.
Marc leans back in his seat. “I am a fan of both of them. But, I have to admit that I looked up to Valentino a little more.”
Helmet types out another message.
<But you mainly talk about Pedrosa in your interviews.>
Marc smirks playfully at Helmet. “So you’ve watched my interviews? Are you a fan of mine?”
Helmet just looks at him. Marc looks back without an inch of shame.
“Can’t a man look up to two people?” Marc asks.
Helmet just types out another message.
<What do you think about Rossi then?>
Marc doesn’t even need to think about how to respond to that.
“I think that Rossi is one of the most talented riders in MotoGP history. But, on top of that, I think he is the bravest one in some ways.”
Helmet pauses before writing his next response.
<Why do you think he is brave?>
Marc shrugs. “Because he left a sport he was a legend in and tried to recreate his success in a different sport. Sure, it hasn’t worked out in the way everyone imagined, but isn’t it brave to even attempt it?”
Marc pouts a bit here. “I just wish he waited a bit. I wanted to race against him so badly, but he left before I even got into 125cc.”
Marc isn’t sure why he said that last bit. He wasn’t usually this honest when talking with anyone outside his inner circle.
But, it did feel nice to get it off his chest.
Helmet doesn’t type out anything else. Instead, he just continues to look at Marc, making the Catalan shift awkwardly in his seat.
Damn, did he piss the guy off somehow? Wasn’t he a Rossi fan too? After all, his leathers just screamed Valentino Rossi.
Eventually though, Helmet gets to his feet and gestures to Marc’s helmet and bike. Marc looks at him in confusion, before it suddenly hits him.
“Oh, sure. I’d love to race with you.” Marc said.
It seems a bit abrupt, but hey, Marc wasn’t against going back on track. Besides, it would be fun to race with someone.
Marc quickly puts his own helmet on and grabs his bike.
What follows is one of the best rides Marc has ever had in his life.
It was like he was on the MotoGP track with Dani and Lorenzo. Helmet was absolutely flying on the track, even giving Marc a run for his money at certain points of the track.
Helmet was clearly skilled. In fact, Marc has to admit he was one of the most talented people he had ever raced against.
Marc, of course, manages to get ahead of Helmet. But he doesn’t make it easy.
Just how Marc likes it.
To be honest, Marc can’t help but notice how Helmet’s riding style was incredibly similar to Valentino Rossi’s. It was clear that the man was an inspiration to Helmet.
For a moment, Marc plays around with the idea that Helmet was Valentino Rossi. But he quickly pushes the idea away.
That was incredibly silly. After all, shouldn’t Valentino be preparing for his next race?
Why would he be at this random track?
Marc is incredibly disappointed when the sun begins to set. He knew that it was now time to pack up his equipment and head back to the hotel.
He turns to Helmet though and offers him a smile.
“Thank you for today. I had fun! We should try and meet up some other time!”
Helmet doesn’t say anything to him though. He just looks at Marc, nods, and turns away. Helmet then walks away, leaving a disappointed Marc in his wake.
Marc watches him go, feeling his heart twist in his chest as he does. Then, he sighs and starts putting his equipment away.
For some reason, he misses Helmet already. But Marc shoves the thought away as he hurriedly gets ready to leave.
At least he had fun today.
He hopes Helmet did too.
——
“Where were you?! Look at the time Vale!!”
Uccio’s irritated voice is the first thing Valentino hears when he enters his hotel room.
Valentino is already regretting giving his old friend a key to his hotel room. But he hides his annoyance with a charming smile as he turns to his friend.
“Calm down. I was just at a motocross track.” Valentino explains.
Uccio makes a face at that. “That was dangerous Vale! If you get hurt, Ferrari will..”
“Fire me and use it as an excuse?” Valentino finishes.
Usually the topic of him losing his seat made Valentino want to punch a wall. But for some reason, right now, he can’t help but crack a joke about it.
Was this really because of him? Or had he already accepted his fate?
Uccio flinches at his words but nods. “We are already in a dangerous situation, Valentino. You can’t give them a reason to get rid of you early.”
Valentino lets out a hum in response as he turns to examine himself in the hotel mirror.
“I’ll be fine. They won’t fire me.” Valentino said flippantly.
Maybe if he said it out loud enough, he could make it be the truth.
If he was honest with himself, Valentino knew that Uccio had a point. He should have avoided motocross, because any injuries would just add to the constant retirement rumors being thrown in his face.
But, Valentino just couldn’t stay away. Even after all these years, he found motocross to be a comfort when he was stressed out.
And god was he stressed out right now.
Valentino tries to distract himself though. But, his mind drifts not to his upcoming race, but to the young man he had run into that day.
Marc Marquez.
Valentino had recognized him the second he approached him. At first, he had wanted to avoid the new MotoGP Champion, since he didn't want to deal with yet another reminder about the rise of new motorsport talent.
Then, Marquez had made a comment about the news reporter slandering him.
That had caught Valentino’s attention. And things spiraled from there.
Valentino can’t help but smile a bit at the memory of their time together on the track.
It was… exhilarating. It had been the most fun Valentino had experienced in months if he was honest with himself.
And for some reason, Marc’s smile was haunting him…
“Hey… Hey! Are you listening to me?!”
Uccio’s exasperated voice cuts through his thoughts.
Valentino sighs but turns to his friend and gives him an apologetic smile.
“Sorry, I got distracted. What were you saying?” Valentino asks.
Uccio rolls his eyes and leans against the wall.
“I was saying that Marc Marquez is apparently going to the race this weekend. So be aware that he’s going to be mentioned, okay? Don’t be surprised if he comes up in interviews.”
Valentino isn’t surprised by the fact that Marc was going to the race. In fact, it made his appearance at the track make sense. He had probably wanted to get some training in while he had the chance .
Valentino’s lips twitch at the thought of the young Spaniard walking around the circuit, probably eager to meet his hero properly.
And still not knowing the truth that he already had.
Oh this was shaping up to be a very fun weekend.