Rossi: "I will try to race in 2022, but at the moment I can't promise anything"

The 42-year-old pilot signed last year for a single season with the option of another with the Petronas team and left his continuity subject to the results. His statistics say that he has not finished a race in the top 10 for 13 grand prix and he is currently 19th in the championship, with 9 points after the first five appointments on the calendar.

The MotoGP market has already begun to move towards 2021 with the few free places left and one of the first confirmations will be the renewal of Jack Miller by Ducati. However, #46 does not seem to be in a hurry to renew. About to face the Italian Grand Prix at Mugello , which could be his last, Rossi has no plans to make any announcements. After his worst start to the championship, he prefers to postpone the decision about his future until after the summer.

“It looks like a fast track with some fast corners, which is usually fun, but to understand it properly we have to test it on the bike. It will be very demanding because it is very hot in Indonesia. I raced there in 1996 and 1997 and I remember that it is hotter than in Malaysia. But the sea is very close, so if it’s too hot we’ll swim on the beach,” he joked.

20 champions that Valentino Rossi has ‘retired’

Alex Criville

1 / 20

The 500cc champion in 1999 only matched Rossi in 2000 and 2001, before announcing his retirement.

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Kenny Roberts Jr.

2 / 20

Roberts deprived Rossi of winning the title on his 500cc debut in 2000. The American remained active until mid-2007.

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Max Biaggi

3 / 20

Four-time 250cc champion, he was Rossi’s main rival in the beginning. He left MotoGP in 2005 to go to WorldSBK, where he added two more titles before leaving the competition in 2012.

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Casey Stoner

4 / 20

The MotoGP champion in 2007 and 2011 retired in 2012 at just 27 years old.

Photo by: Bob Heathcote

Jorge Lorenzo

5 / 20

The three-time MotoGP champion was able to beat Rossi with the same bike. In 2019 he retired after passing through Honda at the age of 32.

Photo by: Yamaha Motor Racing

Daniel Pedrosa

6 / 20

Pedrosa came to MotoGP in 2006 as the great hope to beat Rossi, but he retired in 2018 without being able to do so. He left with two 250cc titles and one 125cc title.

Photo by: Camel Media Service

Charles Czech

7 / 20

Checa achieved glory outside of MotoGP. In 2013 he retired from WorldSBK after being crowned two years earlier.

Photo by: Gauloises Fortuna Racing

Loris Capirossi

8 / 20

With two titles in 125cc and one in 250cc, in MotoGP he did not go beyond third position. He left it in 2011 at the age of 38.

Photo by: Ducati Corse

Oliver Jack

9 / 20

The 250cc champion in 2000 failed to succeed in the premier class and retired in 2007.

Photo by: Gauloises Fortuna Racing

Troy Bayliss

10 / 20

Like Rossi, Bayliss has extended his career in different championships to beyond 40 years. He was WorldSBK champion in 2001 before going to MotoGP. After leaving the category, he added another two titles in the series-derived motorcycle world championship in 2006 and 2008, when he left the first level.

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Colin Edwards

11 / 20

The two-time WorldSBK champion retired in 2014 at the age of 40.

Photo by: Yamaha Motor Racing

ben spies

12 / 20

Injuries led the 2009 WorldSBK champion to retirement in 2013 at just 27 years old.

Photo by: Yamaha MotoGP

Marco Melandri

13 / 20

Melandri has hung up his helmet this year at the age of 37 and the 250cc title in 2002 under his belt.

Photo by: Gresini Racing

Stefan Bradl

14 / 20

Although not officially retired, the 2011 Moto2 champion retrained as a Honda tester since 2018 after a brief stint in WorldSBK and has participated in some races as a wild card.

Photo by: Red Bull GmbH and GEPA pictures GmbH

James Toseland

15 / 20

The two-time WorldSBK champion retired in 2011 after having coincided with Rossi in MotoGP in 2008 and 2009.

Photo by: XPB Images

Gabor Talmacsi

16 / 20

The Hungarian, 125cc champion in 2007, came to race in MotoGP in 2009.

Photo by: XPB Images

Tetsuya Harada

17 / 20

The Japanese coincided with Rossi in 2000 and 2002, when he retired at the age of 32 and the 250cc World Championship in 1993 under his belt.

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Mike diMeglio

18 / 20

The 125cc champion in 2008 raced in MotoGP in 2014 and 2015. He is still active in other categories such as MotoE.

Photo by: Avintia Racing

Neil Hodgson

19 / 20

The 2003 WorldSBK champion only met Rossi in MotoGP a year later.

Photo by: Fabrice Crosnier

Hiroshi Aoyama

20 / 20

The last 250cc champion in 2009 raced in MotoGP until 2017.

Photo by: Red Bull GmbH and GEPA pictures GmbH