LA VITA
- Date of birth: 16 febbraio 1979 (at 18.20, weighing 3 kg and 790 grams)
- Age: 23
- Place of birth: Urbino, Italy
- Religion: Catholic
- Height: 1.79m
- His father name : Graziano
- His mother name : Stephania
- Sweetheart: Martina Stella
- Nina Turtle: It's the only thing that had followed me to all the races that I have done.
- Numbers: In my opinion, it's very important to have a number so that the people recognise you immediately.
- Friends: is a word that has many meanings.
- Hobby: Ski, snow-board and soccer, moto and play-station.
- Politics: is the only thing that interests me to the minimum.
- Soccer: Baggio, Del Piero, Shevchenko and Ronaldo
- First experience on the track: first mini-bike at 2 years old, first race (go-kart) at 10
- First racing motor: Cagiva 125
- First victory: Italian championship Sport Production 1994
- Favourite Actor: Nicolas Cage
- Favorite Actress: Angelina Jolie
- Favourite Cartoon Character: Simpsons
- Favourite movie: The Blues Brothers
- Favourite singer: Vasco Rossi,
Jovanotti, 
Elio E Le Storie Tese 
- Favourite circuit: Assen
- Most beautiful victory: the first in 500, at Donington in 2000
Profilo
Valentino was virtually born into the GP paddock because his father was world
rider Graziano Rossi.
Vale, as he is known to the paddock, started out
minibike racing at the coastal resorts near his home, then switched to 125 Sport
Production to win the Italian national title in his second attempt in 1994.
In 1995, he was the youngest-ever Italian 125 champion, and third in the
European championship.
Moved to GPs in 1996.
La Carriera
Valentino Rossi was a debut-season winner in 1996. He has his first victory in Czech Republic and finished the final Championship at 9th position with 111 points.
In 1997, he swept away with the 125 title with 12 race wins to become the second youngest ever 125cc World Champion riding an Aprilia for Nastro Azzurro Team. In fact, he has only missed the podium twice throughout season.
11 wins: Brazil, Catalunya, France, Germany, Great Britain, Imola, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Netherlands and Spain.
The young Italian took his 125 title and moved to 250s on a factory
Aprilia for Nastro Azzurro Team and by the end of the season seemed to have achieved dominance Malaysia and Japan, but then Vale caught fire and finished the year with 12 podium finishes and the championship, with four race wins in succession and second overall in the championship-201 points.
5 wins: Argentina, Australia, Catalunya, Imola and Netherlands
The 1999 season started slowly, with a 5th and a 7th in title in a year that saw close racing from Yamaha, Honda and of course, Aprilia. He won the 250 title at the final Championship with 309 points, becoming the youngest ever 250cc World Champion riding for Aprilia Grand Prix Racing Team.
9 wins: Australia, Brazil, Catalunya, Czech Republic, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, South Africa and Spain
Throughout this, Rossi has maintained an immense enjoyment of racing as he climbed his way steadily toward 500GP.
The team
Vale rides for in 2000, Nastro Azzurro Team is pretty much the same team that took Mick Doohan to his titles, with Jeremy Burgess as crew chief. This wealth of knowledge and Vale's talent make the rookie a possible race winner, with the title not out of the question. He finished the final championship at 2nd position with 209 points.
2 wins: Brazil and Great Britain
In 2001, in face of fierce competition for the title with fellow italians Max Biaggi and Loris Capirossi, he rode away with the 500cc World Championship title in Australia with 2 races left to go, in Malaysia and Brazil.
11 wins: Africa, Australia, Brazil, Catalunya, Czech Republic, Great Britain, Japan, Malaysia, Pacific, Portugal and South Spain
Only 2 riders have won more than 9 races in the 500 class in a single season - Mick Doohan and Giacomo Agostini.
In 2002, with a powerful 4 strokes, his performance has been nothing but outstanding and brilliant. He had won 8 races out of 9 so far except for the one in Africa whereby he was in the 2nd place, lost to his fellow team mate Tohru Ukawa who is riding an identical bike.
8 wins: Japan, Spain, France, Italy, Catalunya, Netherland, England, Germany
Due to his nice, friendly and comical character plus his all-out victory celebrations that included everything from burnouts to dumping his bike, jumping into the stands and magnificent stunts after each win, Vale has gained a huge crowd of loyal fans from all around the world including Asia. He has a fanclub located at Tavullia in Italy
Vale is the 4th youngest rider to win the 500cc title after Freddie Spencr, Mike Hailwood and John Surtees.
Vale is the youngest rider to win titles in 3 different categories. The other 2 riders are Phil Read and Mike Hailwood.
Vale becomes the first in the 53 years history of the World Championship series to have won 37 Grand Prix races before age of 23.
Sommario
First Podium: 1996 Austria 125cc
First Grand Prix: 1996 Malaysia 125cc
First GP Victory: 1996 Czech Republic 125cc
First Pole Position: 1996 Czech Republic 125cc
First Race Fastest Lap: 1996 France 125cc
Podium 57
Pole Positions 14
Race Fastest Lap 33
World Championship Wins 3
1997 125cc
1999 250cc
2001 500cc
125cc Starts 30
250cc Starts 30
500cc Starts 30
Grand Prix Starts 90
1989 - Campionato regionale karting 60cc
1990 - 1st classificato Campionato regionale karting 60cc
1991 - 5th classificato Campionato italiano karting 60cc
1992 - Campionato nazionale minimoto
1993 - Campione italiano Sport Production
1994 - Campione italiano Sport Production 125
1995 - Campione Italiano Classe 125
1996 - 9th classificato Campionato mondiale classe 125 cc
1997 - Campione del mondo classe 125 cc (Aprilia)
1998 - 2nd classficato Campionato mondiale classe 250 cc (Aprilia)
1999 - Campione del mondo classe 250 cc (Aprilia)
2000 - 2nd classificato campionato mondiale classe 500 cc (Honda)
2001 - Campione del mondo classe 500 cc (Honda)
