Rossi’s Hero Believes He Will Adapt to the Ducati
Support for Valentino Rossi’s struggle to overcome a shoulder injury and adapt to the Ducati Desmosedici GP11 has come from some-one with real authority on the subject, 15 time World Champion, MotoGP legend and fellow Italian, Giacomo Agostini.
Giacomo Agostini is a road racing hero. The Italian holds the record for the most Grand Prix victories ever at 122 and also the most World Championship titles at an astounding 15!! Of these victories, 68 wins and 8 titles came from the premier 500cc class with the remainder in the long defunct 350 class.
If ever there was a modern day Agostini, it is Valentino Rossi. Rossi is just 18 victories shy of the record for most victories and has been very much aware of how he is systematically replacing one of his heros at the top of the record books one category at a time. In 2008 at his home track of Misano he took his 68th premier class win to match Agostini’s record which of course he has now surpassed.
Valentino Rossi:- “Today is a truly fantastic day and I can’t believe that I have matched Agostini’s record! He was one of my heroes so it’s quite incredible to have made it to 68 wins.”
link: ROSSI beat Agostini record at Misano
In 2009 he achieved another milestone, surpassing Ago’s record of 159 career podiums with his victory at Brno.
Valentino Rossi:- “Today I arrived at the top of the all-time podium list and I’m very proud of this, especially here at Brno where I took my first victory 13 years ago.”
link: Mirror.co.uk
Fans hoping for a similar Ducati fairy tale to that of his audacious switch from Honda to a seemingly uncompetitive Yamaha in 2004 that resulted in him taking victory upon debut at the Welkom circuit were disappointed at the opening round of the 2011 MotoGP season. Rossi could only take 7th place on his first ride on a Ducati at Qatar. Hampered by a shoulder still recovering from surgery during the off season and a bike that is so different to his Yamaha, there is a long way to go before Valentino can be back to his winning ways.
‘Ago’ also made an ambitious switch when in 1974 he left the safety of MV Augusta, where he had won 13 World Championship titles, to young upstart Yamaha and the emergent 2-stroke hegemony. In 1975 he was the first ever 2-stroke 500cc World Champion and of course 2-strokes won every subsequent championship until Rossi won the 2002 title on the V5 Honda RC211V.
The MotoGP legend doesn’t doubt that Rossi will prevail eventually in terms of total race wins but not world titles:-
“The number of World Titles is looking a bit hard. Let’s say that record I think I’ve definitely put in the safe! For others (the total number of victories), however, I fear…though I do not think that he can do that already this season…I’m not used to being beaten, he must first ask permission!” joked Agostini.
It seems that nothing burns more brightly than the desire of a champion to win.
“Seriously, if I were Valentino I’d do anything to deal with any goal, if we have one thing in common is the ambition to win, always. He wants to win at all costs…I also had to adapt by switching to Yamaha, but Rossi will do it with his great vision tactics.”
link: MotoBlog.it (Google Translation)
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