By the end of his MotoGP career back in 2021, Valentino Rossi was some way off the front of the pack in terms of race wins and points finishes. But he was still by far the main man when it came to star appeal. His last title might have been in 2009, and his final class race win in 2017, but he still filled grandstands and emptied merchandise stands like no other racer.
It makes perfect sense that he’s signed up as an official Yamaha Ambassador for the next few years. The Doctor took four 500GP titles with Yamaha and has stuck with the Japanese brand after retirement, using R1Ms and YZF450s for fun and training. “We worked together for many years in the past,” Rossi said, “so it feels natural. After I retired from MotoGP, I’ve kept training and riding motorcycles. During my MotoGP career, I rode Yamaha bikes as part of my contract. But even after retiring, I kept using Yamaha bikes because I enjoy it. I’m happy that the agreement is now signed, so Yamaha and I get to work together in this new set-up.”