Tank Slappers Podcast: Valentino Rossi announces retirement
On Thursday ahead of the Styrian Grand Prix, Valentino Rossi announced his retirement from MotoGP at the end of the 2021 season.
Rossi made his grand prix motorcycle racing debut back in 1996 in the 125cc class, and since then has written himself into the history books as arguably the greatest of all time - both on two wheels and perhaps across all of motorsport.
Winning 115 grands prix across the 125cc, 250cc and MotoGP classes, Rossi has won nine world titles, with seven of those coming in MotoGP having gone up against some of the fiercest opposition the premier class has ever seen in the likes of Max Biaggi, Sete Gibernau, Casey Stoner and Jorge Lorenzo.
Though his results have faded in recent years, Rossi’s star power has remained as strong as it ever was, the Italian transcending the sport which made him famous.
PLUS: Why Rossi hasn’t overstayed his welcome in MotoGP
As the Styrian GP marks the first of a 10-race farewell tour for Rossi, Autosport’s Lewis Duncan and Motorsport.com’s Oriol Puigdemont discuss Rossi’s announcement and his legacy in the latest Tank Slappers podcast.
You can listen to the podcast using the player below, or via all good audio platforms including Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts.
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