The nine-time world champion made his striking yellow number 46 bib a motorcycling icon throughout his 26-season Grand Prix career.
Valentino Rossi won nine titles at the three levels of the MotoGP world championship, seven of them in the maximum displacement, and achieved a total of 115 race victories.
The Italian legend retired from MotoGP at the end of the 2021 season and now competes full-time in GT World Challenge Europe with WRT Audi.
Although he never expressed a wish for his number to be retired when he stopped racing and encouraged its use by others, MotoGP has announced that Rossi will attend a ceremony at Mugello in two weeks to retire the number.
The MotoGP statement reads: “The number 46 will be withdrawn from use in the MotoGP class at the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello.”
Synonymous with Valentino Rossi, nine-time world champion and MotoGP legend, the number will be retired in style at the upcoming Oakley Italian Grand Prix. The retirement ceremony will take place on the main straight on Saturday, just before qualifying. .
“Rossi will be present when his legacy is honored and the number is retired, having worn the number 46 in the MotoGP Legends Hall of Fame for 26 successful seasons, creating one of the most recognizable calling cards in world sport. “.
The withdrawal of the numbers is something that, in general, is usually reserved for pilots who have died during the competition. Over the years, MotoGP has retired Nicky Hayden’s number 69, Shoya Tomizawa ‘s 48, and Marco Simoncelli ‘s 58, among others.
The first rider to have his number retired was 1993 500cc World Champion Kevin Schwantz , with the American’s famous #34 retired out of respect for his career following his retirement.
Before his retirement last season, Rossi was officially inducted into the MotoGP hall of fame.
In Jerez two weeks ago, during the Spanish Grand Prix weekend, his former Yamaha teammate and three-time world champion Jorge Lorenzo was also inducted into the Hall of Fame.
