Valentino Rossi Confirmed At Petronas Yamaha For 2021 MotoGP Season

Even though it had been widely reported since this April, news of seven-time MotoGP premier class champion Valentino Rossi for the 2021 season had not been officially confirmed until today. 

In an official statement during the Catalunya Grand Prix at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Spain, the Petronas Yamaha SRT squad confirmed that Rossi would fill the vacant seat left by Fabio Quartararo moving to the factory Monster Energy Yamaha team next season. 

The Italian first alluded to staying in MotoGP beyond the current season on April 25 during an interview with current teammate Maverick Vinales and a MotoGP commentator. With Quartararo moving to the factory team, the popular Italian was considered a shoe-in to take the Frenchman’s vacant seat due to his experience and drawing power among MotoGP fans. 

Rossi has ridden astride a Yamaha in the MotoGP’s premier class since 2004, with the exception of 2011 and 2012, when he rode for the factory Ducati team. 

The Italian, who has started in 349 premier class events since his debut in 2000, has not won a race since the 2017 season and has not yet scored a podium in the seven rounds held in the 2020 season. Rossi’s podium tally in the premier class currently sits at 199, which almost became 200 in the San Marino GP until Suzuki’s Joan Mir snatched third place late in the race. 

Rossi is currently ninth in the 2020 championship standings that are incredibly close with the top four riders separated by just four points. Rossi’s teammate for the 2021 season will be current Petronas Yamaha rider Franco Morbidelli who is fifth in the championship.

Morbidelli won the San Marino GP this year - to become one of six different race winners - and his current points tally of 64 points is just six points more than Rossi, whose VR46 Academy he graduated from.