Cutter

I am asking this as someone who gained an interest in the MotoGP last year. It seems as though Rossi's decline began in the 2010s. Positions averaging on 6th each race? Don't get me wrong, I love the guy but people continue to worship him even though there are many other players that are killing it in the league. Yes, I know of his past accomplishments; he deserves the revered status, but to think he is going to start getting continuous podiums all of the sudden is a far cry.

A poster on this website mentioned his decline in performance was due to being in your 30s, your heart rate begins to slow. Any merit to this?

I was a Dovi fan when I gained a love for superbike racing, I was let down the past two seasons and became a Quatararo/Miller fan.

michaelm

I haven't liked his off track manipulations for a long time, and don't believe he can any longer be called the unchallenged greatest rider ever as was perhaps the case at the end of the 2009 season, but he remains one of the greatest, and that he competed very closely for a title as recently as 2015 against 2 other all time greats was further evidence of same.

Time waits for no-one though, and his most recent seasons and a further season at age 42 is rather pushing things imo.

Keshav

He got old. End of.

misfit

I'm not so sure what you're getting at.

I'm a fan of Rossi and his achievements, and will not stop being a fan simply because he is still riding in his aged state and is not able to keep up with the younger riders. Yes, his off-track antics have left a lot to be desired, but I have come to realise that all too often, the really great riders/drivers will have personality flaws .... as we all do. This is especially so with the yuber multiple champs who spend a lot of time in the limelight and at the bleeding edge of competition where the hunger for victory is highest, since it's closest, and they are pushing to both physical and psychic limits. Tempers will flare and ruthlessness will set it since the prize is always so close. It's then up to each fan of the sport to interpret what they see and weigh the qualities and flaws from their own vantage point. They come out either liking, disliking, or being indifferent about the rider although it's inevitably either one of the first two rather than indifference.

I especially like Stoner because I love his life story up and to the point of his retirement. He was also a über talent and it would make me grin reading and listening to his mates endorse his skills. He always willingly spoke of riding his bike the way it needed to be ridden, rather than insist on trying to encourage a design/setup of the bike that allowed him to ride the way he wanted. I could go on and on.... .... but I respect Rossi and his achievements a lot.

michaelm

Rossi’s achievements during the very long peak of his career stand forever.

I see his situation in more recent years as akin to Federer vs Djokovic and Nadal, although Federer has not as yet hung on past the point of him being competitive with his younger rivals for places at or near the top of the pantheon of the sport of tennis.

I came to dislike Rossi because of his use of a certain element among his fandom against his rivals, particularly Stoner, having perhaps hypocritically not having had as much objection when Biaggi and Gibernau were the rivals being subjected to the fabled ‘mind games’. In retrospect Stoner retiring when he did was the right decision, but at the time I was keen to see him continue riding for at least 2 or 3 more years; I could have watched that guy ride a single lap on his own all day, and enjoyed watching him ride even in preference to my all time gp bike racing idol Mick Doohan. At the time Stoner retired he made it clear being vilified by the Valeban for performing as required by his job description ie winning races and titles, and what he saw as manipulation of tires, bike weights etc to disadvantage him were high up on the list of reasons for his distaste for the motogp circus.

JPSLotus

I don't think Rossi is worthy of revered status.

The manner which he conducted himself in and thought was acceptable, back in 2015 ensured I would never have any real respect for him as a rider and person ever again.

He basically pulled a Trump before Trump started doing it on a national/global scale. Rossi advanced an unproven conspiracy theory regarding the Phillip Island race that year, which had the result of inviting what amounted to an insurrection against Marc Marquez. As you'll recall, security was needed for Marc as well as his family because the Rossi fans who were behaving just like the Trumptards, wanted to go after Marquez for what he supposedly did to Rossi.

I think if those events unfolded in 2020 rather than 2015, given the nature of how the world is now, Rossi may in fact have been given a season long ban, or even a permanent ban for what he did. Rossi stirred up his fanbase through rhetoric and conspiracy then, and even in prior years because he knew his fanbase was more akin to a cult than just a group of passionate fans.

While yes his accomplishments prior to 2010 were impressive, and actually were something of note (something that Trump never managed to do) Rossi is an amoral piece of shit at the end of the day. He has never admitted to wrongdoing, or that he incited his fanbase constantly with his bullshit.

To your other point, he got old. Something his fanbase still cannot accept.

birdman

History indicates 10 years at the top is about all any rider can manage before decline. Most seam to get to that point where they just say ok, that’s enough, time to retire. Rossi, imo, had it all a bit too good, a bit too easy, for the first 5. He had to work much harder for the next 2, but the main thing I remember regarding comments from Rossi was he didn’t enjoy riding against Stoner and Lorenzo the way he did against Gibernau and Biaggi. For me, that’s it in a nutshell. It’s no wonder the biggest problem he’s ever had then is with Marquez. Apparently the better the competition, the less Rossi enjoys it.

Granted that, the young Rossi vs Marquez would have been a wonderful spectacle and I think that version of Rossi, before he became a bit too full of himself, would have held his own. My theory is Marquez can ride like no other, balls as big as they come. But Rossi rides with brains until, at some point, he needs more balls. At which point he did once, prior to PI and Sepang 15 at least, pull them out and ride all out. Laguna Seca the obvious example. Unfortunately, there’s been less of that since he joined Ducati, at which point he must of become aware he was no longer the alpha, thus his inevitable decline.

michaelm

Mostly agree, although like the last corner at Jerez in 2005 with Gibernau at Laguna Seca with Stoner he was prepared to leave it up to Stoner who was on the racing line as he did with Gibernau for there not to be a collision, which would have been potentially quite dangerous at Laguna Seca at least. Stoner who is rather more thoughtful than people gave him credit for considered this an advantage Rossi had over him; as he said afterwards, when he did put the bike down in the sand later in the race after Rossi pretty much brake checked him he could have plowed into the back of Rossi which would have been to his advantage in the title race and no one could have had any complaint, but this was just not how he himself rolled.

Hubris did indeed meet nemesis when Rossi encountered Marquez, who in no way bowed to him in terms of ruthlessness and had the fearlessness/advantage of youth as well. 23 year old Rossi against 23 year old MM would indeed have been something.

AntG

I think it's purely down to age, the fact that he's remained somewhat competitive for the last decade is impressive though.

JPSLotus

Less impressive when you factor in the reality that till the spec Marelli ECU was introduced in 2016, there were generally only 4 bikes on the grid capable of winning a grand prix from 2011 thru 2015. Even after that, while we've had other manufacturers win races besides Honda and Yamaha, those two were considered the odds on favorite to win the constructor's title year in and year out. 2020 though being the notable exception as it was Honda's first winless season since 1981. But that aside, being on a Yamaha anyway has always ensured a competitive race weekend the majority of the time. The real question would have been, if Rossi had been on anything other than a Yamaha from 2013 thru 2020, what would his results look like? We already know from the Ducati adventure that he isn't overly competitive when he doesn't have a good base bike to ride. Even with a good base bike, he had one truly standout season, 2015. And even at that, down the stretch when he really needed to put results/wins together, he wasn't up to the task while Jorge was, hence Lorenzo winning the title and not Rossi. His inability to step up under pressure at that point in his career was how I knew he was done as a serious threat for a title permanently. Even the ability to win a lone race or even two, has passed on by. I'm purely of the opinion that he should have announced his retirement for 2020 and called it a day if nothing else. He's blocking more deserving riders from a seat on the grid by continuing to ride for what appears to be no other reason than to placate his enormous ego.