VALENCIA: Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia claimed his fourth win in the last six MotoGP races at the season-ending Valencia Grand Prix on Sunday as his mentor and nine-time world champion Valentino Rossi finished 10th in his final race.
Pramac Racing’s Spanish rookie Jorge Martin made a strong start from pole position and held off a pack of challengers but was denied a second victory of the season after being overtaken by Bagnaia with 13 laps left.
“This race victory is a present to Valentino,” Bagnaia, a product of Rossi’s VR46 riders academy, said. “I want to dedicate this race to him and thank him for what he has done for us at the academy. Before this weekend, I didn’t think it was possible [to win]... but we arrived here as one of the fastest teams. It’s the best way to finish.”
Jack Miller finished third to secure the team championship for Ducati, while 2020 world champion Joan Mir of Spain missed out on a podium position after surging forward following a crash by Suzuki team mate Alex Rins midway through the race.
Yamaha’s new world champion Fabio Quartararo finished fifth.
Seven-times MotoGP title winner Rossi, one of the greatest and most charismatic of motorcycling champions, delighted fans including Brazilian soccer great Ronaldo with a few quick laps but was unable to add to his 199 premier class podiums.
If this season was his poorest in 26 seasons at world level — the 42-year-old Italian finished a distant 18th in the standings — there were no tears, just a trademark grin from ‘The Doctor’, who is considering a move into car racing.
Rossi was mobbed by his fellow riders following the race, as congratulatory messages from the motor sports fraternity as well as the larger sporting world were broadcast on the giant screen.
Rossi took a final lap of honour to a standing ovation from the crowd as fireworks dotted the sky, before an emotional farewell with his Petronas Yamaha team.
He retires with 115 victories including a record 89 in MotoGP, 235 podiums (199 in the top flight), also a record, and the longest career of any rider in the sport’s premier class.
Published in Dawn, November 15th, 2021