Valentino Rossi is certainly making the most of the sunny weather, as he’s hit the track once again this week, although this time riding some historically important Grand Prix and World Superbike machines.
The seven-time MotoGP champion spent time at Silverstone last month, as he took part in the ‘Track Day of Legends’, joining the likes of Francesco Bagnaia, Jonathan Rea, Michael Dunlop, and John McGuinness in a star-studded event organised by the riders’ mutual sponsor Monster Energy. That event has been quickly followed up by Rossi and a host of Grand Prix and World Superbike legends hitting the fabled asphalt of Jerez on some retro racing machines.
This latest outing was part of the Yamaha Racing Heritage Club meeting, and aside from allowing him to ride the circuit at which he took his 199th and final MotoGP podium in 2020 (as well as nine Grand Prix wins across all classes), it also gave the Tavullia hero a chance to ride Eddie Lawson’s 1987 Yamaha YZR500. It’s one of the bikes that helped to shape the styling and design of the recently released XSR900 GP, and complete with Marlboro branding and decals, it’ll forever be remembered as one of the best looking GP bikes to ever turn a wheel.
Aside from the classic machinery on offer, Rossi also got the chance to spin some laps on his own Yamaha R1 GYTR, as well as the WorldSBK-spec R1 of GRT Yamaha rider Remy Gardner, who this weekend will be replacing Alex Rins at the German MotoGP.
This isn’t the first time Rossi has shared the track with WorldSBK spec machinery, though, as he took part in an open MotoGP/WorldSBK test event at the beginning of the year - although not riding a full WorldSBK spec machine as he was at Jerez. Pulling back into the pits after the session on Gardners WorldSBK, the team’s mechanics quickly surrounded Rossi to download his thoughts, proving that despite being officially retired for some time now, the opinions of the MotoGP legend still need to be listened to.
