Why Valentino Rossi is still so loved?

MotoGP is the best Motorcycle racing event and one of the best Racing events overall, challenged only by Formula 1. It consists of many races, usually about 18, in different parts of the world. Yet, where ever you go, irrespective of country, region etc, you will find one Color and one Number everywhere. The sea of Yellow Flags and number 46, has been around in MotoGP from the time I have been watching it.

If you already don't know what or who I am talking about, probably you don't know anything about MotoGP at all. Just to make you aware, both these belong to 9 times World Champion, Valentino Rossi. MotoGP has seen some very fine Riders in recent past like Jorge Lorenzo, Dani Pedrosa, Casey Stoner and of course, Marc Marquez but still no one has been able to find that huge love and support from followers and fans all over the Globe.

What is so special about "The Doctor" that he has become synonymous with MotoGP itself for hundreds of thousands of Fans worldwide?

1. Such Long Illustrious Career: 

First and foremost reason I find for having such a humongous fan following is the duration from which he has been racing. He has raced with 3 generations and 4th has already started entering the grid to compete with him. Riders who are competing with him, had hardly reached 3-4 years of age when he won his first race. That long has he been here on the grid that for a lot of people, like me, he has become a synonym for MotoGP. 

Bradly Smith once said, "I think it's quite surreal being on a track with him because he is 40 and we are talking about a guy who won his first Grand Prix when I was six," 

"The first year I really watched MotoGP was when he won his race in 2004 in South Africa. Since I have been watching, he has always been there."

Even after racing for so long and at this age, he is still able to fight for win/podiums. In current 2020 season again, he is still able to fight for championship. 

2. His Passion: Even after so much Success and Failures:

We have seen a lot of riders in different sports who like to leave at their peak like recently Nico Rosberg, retired just after winning world championship and we have also seen others like Jorge Lorenzo, who left the sport after 1-2 bad seasons. But then there is Valentino Rossi, who is still here after having tremendous success, in form of 9 world titles and have seen failures like his stint with Ducati or more recently Winless stint for almost 3 years now. This shows the passion he carries with him. After so many years in a high demanding sport like MotoGP, if you are still able to compete with similar enthusiasm as you used to do it more than 20 years ago, there has to be something in you which is still making you fight and that is what is loved by his Fans globally.

As Flavio Fratesi, director of the official Rossi fan club, rightly said: "Even after winning everything and after many years, Valentino still trains and runs with the same passion and energy that he had in the beginning.

"Despite not winning so much in recent years, people love him and follow him even more, because he has now become a fundamental symbol for this sport."

And even after terrible injuries he has not given up.

Most notably, he raced in the 2017 Aragon GP just 21 days after suffering a double leg break, and despite needing a stick to walk. He finished fifth.

Also read: Story behind so less records being broken in MotoGP.

3. His celebrations - Robin Hood, Toilet Break and Speeding Ticket

'The Doctor' has never been shy when it comes to on or off-track activities.

"He has a lot of success thanks to his personality, his charisma and his passion for what he does," says Fratesi.

And when it came to celebrations, Rossi was the trail-blazer, always thinking of new ways to revel in his success.

He has worn a Robin Hood outfit on the podium, pretended he was in charge of a chain gang and even run to a Portaloo on a slow-down lap.

Rossi was one of the first riders to really involve the crowd at race meetings, and that has helped his fanbase grow.

"To see the reception week in, week out no matter how good or bad his season is going... the amount of yellow VR46 flags around the event is massive," said MotoGP wildcard rider Bradley Smith.

"The following he has all around the world, he has captured the imagination of a lot of people and someone like that has done a lot for the sport."

Also read: Why Rossi is called The Doctor?

4. VR46 Academy and his Ranch:

Those who were not much aware about his academy till now, must have known in this 2020 season. His Proteges from VR46 academy, Morbidelli and Pecco Bagnaia are shining high in MotoGP 2020 season. Also, the likes of Luca Marini, Vietti, Marco Bezzecchi, Migno, Antonelli are making good progress in Moto2 and Moto3, rather fighting for Championship this year.

Rossi runs race teams in the Moto2 and Moto3 support classes.

His VR46 ranch in his home town is a 'back-to-basics' base for his academy, with a 1.5-mile dirt track where Rossi likes to test himself against up-and-coming riders.

"The ranch wasn't what I expected," said McPhee. "He has a barn at the edge of his local town and it is on a big piece of farmland.

"For meals they generally have barbeques, for drinks they have a coffee machine and water. It's not a luxury place - it is kind of what racing used to be, it is purely about the bikes.

"He has an interest in the Moto3 riders and bringing them on. He is always keeping himself sharp and on his toes and being in his best shape possible."

Whether that will be enough for that elusive 10th title remains to be seen.

5. Adaptability throughout his 25 years of Motorcycle racing career

Rossi entered modern bikes at the age of 30+ (i.e new electronic bikes). These new bikes gave a better leaning angle than bikes which Rossi was riding all these time.

All new riders, adopted to that style very fast becoz of their age (Young chaps). And we all thought its time for Rossi to quit as "You cannot teach Old dog a new Trick"

Meh. It just took one season for him to adopt to the new electronics and he started leaning much much more than before, at the same time he did not change is riding style . He still leans in a balanced way (not like Marquez and Lorenzo).

End of 2013 - He is well fit with Bike

Middle of 2014 - He helped yamaha team to build the bike better

Throughout 2015 - He made Yamaha team to gain better places in the races on tracks Austin, Saschenring which are considered bad for Yamaha all these years

See the Assen Race - 2015. 36 Year Old guy with a 22 year guy in a race long battle.

6. His Helmet designs:

Oh, that part is favorite for a lot of fans including me. Fans always wait for his Helmet designs, which are always something special. The Helmet design he introduces every San Marino GP is one of the most quirky one.

You can read more about his helmet designs here.

His Factory Yamaha contract is over and hopefully we are going to see an announcement around this weekend for his 1 year contract with Pertonas Yamaha SRT team. What after that?? 

Hopefully, he will be introducing his team in Premier class with Yamaha or Suzuki(as the rumors say) and will continue to ride for some more years.

And, after that, as Rossi has already said, he would love to race on 4 wheels. So his fans, including me obviously, would love to see him racing on 4 wheels. Le Mans, 24 hours for instance.