Valentino Rossi in Qatar, 2010. Photo: Moto Race Reports
It’s official – Valentino Rossi will race for Ducati in the 2011 Moto GP season. Rossi, seen by many as the greatest motorcycle roadracer of the modern era. has been aggressively courted by Ducati since last September, and his signing with the Italian team has been the subject of repeated internet rumors. Ducati even teased the announcement on its website before it could be made official at 12:00 Eastern time today. Yamaha was first to break the silence and announce Rossi’s departure, followed by Ducati’s celebratory announcement welcoming Rossi to the team.
Ducati News Today speculates that Rossi wanted to end his career racing for an Italian team. Furthermore, Rossi’s wants to surpass the number of victories earned by his hero, Giacomo Agostini, on an Italian bike. Agostini, who spent the bulk of his career with MV Augusta, also spent three seasons with Yamaha.