When seven-time premier class champion Valentino Rossi announced that he would retire from professional motorcycle racing at the age of 42 at last year’s Styrian Grand Prix it signified the end of one of the most remarkable careers not only in motorsport, but across the greater reaches of sport in general.
Therefore it seems only just that this incredible career should be put under the spotlight for the world to enjoy, educating not only those who are newer to the craft of MotoGP, but also his most die-hard supporters.
MotoGP journalist and ex-racer Mat Oxley decided to take up the challenge, coming up with Valentino Rossi: All His Races, a book that dives in on not only his exploits in the premier class, but also through his apprenticeship years in the smaller 125cc and 250cc categories.
Oxley was fortunate enough to follow Rossi throughout the paddocks (and less glamorously the airport terminals too) across the entire span of the Italian’s 25-year journey in grand prix competition, giving him a unique insight into not only the highs but also the lows of his career, including a rather desperate insight into his disastrous two years stint with Ducati in 2012 and ’13.
All His Races acts as a written pilgrimage to – yep you guessed it – every single one of his grand prix starts, Oxley describing in succinct but descriptive detail the events that took place throughout each and every race weekend, done in such a way that it gives an immersive overview of the races and season as a whole without becoming an information overload.
Oxley also provides key stats and championship standings of each race and season that are handy to help track Rossi relative to rivals through his quest to conquer the world of grand prix racing.
Rather than just describing the race weekends though Oxley provides several interludes that put the magnifying glass on particular subjects – essentially mini feature supplements – that proved to be an important talking point of a particular season, or potentially signified events that proved pivotal to his career or general personal growth as a whole.
An example of this is a look at his rivalry with current LCR Honda boss Lucio Ceccinello – one that grew throughout his stint in the European 125cc championship in 1995 – featuring an interview with the Italian as he describes his battles with Rossi in his own words as well as his own transition from successful lightweight racer to team boss.
These prove to be some of the most fascinating segments of the book as they allow Rossi’s rivals their own say, the Italian in particular interesting as he recounts how special he could tell Rossi was while directly battling with him despite being largely underrated off the circuit at that time.
Also featured throughout are technical supplements that give an insight to the variety of machinery campaigned throughout Rossi’s career, touching on points such as the key characteristics of each machine and how Rossi was able to tame them en-route to supremacy – either through development or even changing his own riding style – as well as engaging stories about them.
These include the design decisions that were taken throughout development by the respective manufacturers-as well as talented riders on the scene long before Rossi, helping to lay the ground for a good portion of his future success – as the bikes matured from brand-new machines to world beating monsters.
Due to Rossi’s premier class career spanning several generations of technical specification-from 500cc displacement to 800cc, and from 990cc to the current 1000cc beasts – the reader is also treated to insight from his most trusted team members – such as chief mechanic Alex Briggs that worked with him for his whole premier class career – as to how he had to adapt to the different riding styles demanded by the newer bikes to continue his run of success.
As a writer that only began following MotoGP around ten years ago – after Rossi’s prime – the story regarding how Rossi and his genius crew chief Jeremy Burgess turned Yamaha’s M1 from an also ran to a title winner in just three days was particularly fascinating.
The book is also choc-full of similar tales that can help give a completely different viewpoint on storylines that run throughout Rossi’s career, whether an individual has followed MotoGP for 20 years or two.
It’s fair to say Valentino Rossi: All His Races acts as a brilliant compliment to not only the career of a sporting giant, but also to the human side of Rossi that brought so much flair and excitement to the hearts of not only his colleagues, but his hordes of fans worldwide – his legacy also something explored by the book in its closing monologue.
The book provides unrivalled insight into the mind of Rossi as well as a thrilling ride for not only those uneducated on Rossi, but those who have worshipped him for so many years making it a must-read if you have even the slightest interest in the history of MotoGP – thus making it the perfect tribute for one of the most influential sportsmen in history.
