Ducati Sporting Club UK > General > Idle Chat > 7 times a world champion and only 26 years old - is Rossi the best ever

[Mad Dog Bianchi]

Paul is right. How can you forget someone who ran in multiple classes and still won. My vote goes to Ago, a real superman (though Rossi is a genius on two wheels).

[Mad Dog Bianchi]

Paul is right. How can you forget someone who ran in multiple classes and still won. My vote goes to Ago, a real superman (though Rossi is a genius on two wheels).

Career summary

Year Team 350cc 500cc World titles TT wins
1963 Moto-Morini - - - -
1964 Moto-Morini - - - -
1965 MV 3 wins 1 win - -
1966 MV 3 wins 3 wins 500 cc 350 cc
1967 MV 1 win 5 wins 500 cc 350 & 500 cc
1968 MV 7 wins 10 wins 350 & 500 cc 350 & 500 cc
1969 MV 8 wins 10 wins 350 & 500 cc 350 & 500 cc
1970 MV 9 wins 10 wins 350 & 500 cc 350 & 500 cc
1971 MV 6 wins 8 wins 350 & 500 cc 500 cc
1972 MV 6 wins 11 wins 350 & 500 cc 350 & 500 cc
1973 MV 4 wins 3 wins 350 cc -
1974 Yamaha 5 wins 2 wins 350 cc -
1975 Yamaha 1 win 4 wins 500 cc -
1976 MV 1 win 1 win - -
1977 Suzuki - - - -
Totals 54 wins 68 wins 15 Championships 12 TT wins

[ScottyB]

I voted yes but would have loved to have seen him under pressure more this year.

Why was he not under pressure? When it mattered most either he or the crew were spot on, and excellent team around him.

He must be admired for the way he is able to set the bike up and communicate the feedback from his testing and qualifying sessions to his crew.

There is nobody at present who could lace his boots when it comes to that skill alone, and that skill has come from him working his way through the classes and learning by his mistakes and fine tuning things as he goes.

I feel he has got out of racing what he has put into it.

Regards

ScottyB

[Twinfan]

He was under big pressure yesterday, and pulled it out of the bag.

The guy is awesome.

[Jools]

There is no doubt he is the best rider today by a very long way. The trouble is with all these polls is that you never get to compare like with like. Different era's, different machinery, different degrees of professionalism, so it's impossible to say who is the best of all time.

The only problem that I have with anybody who is totally dominant in their chosen field is that it makes the sport, overall, less exciting. the same goes for any sport. There are individuals or teams who totally dominate for a particular spell of time and make the outcome a bit too predictable to be entertaining.

I mean, we can all remember sporting events when all you were really doing was turning up to see Australia win at cricket, England win the 6 nations, Manchester United win the premiership, Tiger Woods win the open, Federer win Wimbledon, Schumacher lead the F1 procession home, Rossi win another MotoGP. Fine if you are a rabid fan of any of the teams or individuals but not if you want close, nail biting competition.

And isn't it good when the tide turns and somebody starts to beat the favourites? Would the whole nation have gone crazy unless we were in with a good shout of beating the Aussies? Isn't it refreshing to see Arsenal and Chelsea putting the boot in? Isn't even F1 a little less predictable now that the Scumacher/Ferrari stranglehold has been broken?

My preference is for a scenario like WSB in 2004 where any one of four people could've won right down to the wire.

[ziggi]

Rossi is awesome. I'd put Wayne Rainey close to the top of my list but Rossi is my ultimate all time greatest motorcycle racer.

Can you think of anyone coming through the ranks that could do as well as Rossi?

[Twinfan]

Pedrosa maybe, but I can't think of anyone else.

[gary888]

Whilst Rossi stays in Motogp no-one will get near him. IMHO his mental strength ensures the others are in second place before they get to the circuit and that's where he has the edge, but to do what he has done with the M1 in 2 seasons...And he didn't get released from the contract with Honda until Jan 04 as I remember.
Much as I hate F1, I'd like to see him repeat Surtees feat. I'm sure he'd upset a few prima donnas in the process!

[guest1]

How come there's only 1 vote for "I don't think Rossi is a god"? (yes, it was me)