Valentino Rossi already regrets parting | Sport

sport">“I’m going to have a hard time in the coming months, especially in March I’m afraid. It will be weird when the season starts and I’m not there.”

sport">Rossi did not play a significant role in his last season, although he still finished tenth in his 432nd grand prix. “I was motivated and concentrated, as if I was fighting for the championship. I thought that was important because it was my last race”, said Rossi, nicknamed ‘The Doctor’. “I’m glad I finished tenth; I can say that I finished my long career with the top ten motorcycle racers in the world and that means a lot to me.”

sport">Rossi took his last world title in 2009, his last GP victory in 2017. Rossi concludes his career with 89 Grand Prix victories and 199 podium finishes in the top category. “I would have liked to have won a tenth world title. If I had given my best in the early years of my career as I have done in the last ten years, I could have won more races. But when you’re young, it’s okay to be a little stupid. We learn through experience.”

sport">Rossi is not leaving motorsport, although he has hinted a few times about a move to four-wheelers. The Italian also owns the Ducati team VR46, which will make its debut in MotoGP next year with drivers Luca Marini and Marco Bezzecchi. The team bears his initials and the bib number that made him famous.

sport">Day winner Bagnaia finished the World Cup in second place behind Quartararo, the first French world champion in the premier class. In Valencia, Bagnaia, who recorded his fourth win of the season, overtook Spaniard Jorge Martin (Ducati-Pramac) and Australian Jack Miller (Ducati). Quartararo finished fifth.

sport">“This win is a gift to Valentino,” said Bagnaia, a product of Rossi’s training team VR46. “I want to thank him for what he has done for us.” Video messages were shown on large screens in which tennis players Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, among others, expressed their appreciation for the racing legend, who also received messages from actors Tom Cruise and Keanu Reeves. Rossi rode another lap of honour, accompanied by fireworks, followed by an emotional farewell to his team Petronas Yamaha.

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