MotoGP great Rossi to stay at Yamaha till 2020

Doha/Bengaluru, March 16: MotoGP great Valentino Rossi has ended speculation about his future by signing a two-year contract extension with Yamaha ahead of the 2018 season opener at the Losail circuit in Qatar.

The two-year deal that binds the Italian to Yamaha till 2020 will see the 39-year-old compete in a record 25 seasons of Grand Prix racing and continue his association with the Japanese manufacturer in the premier class for a phenomenal 15 years.

Valentino Rossi will start his 23rd racing season this weekend… and there are many more impressive achievements to come in the next two years with Yamaha!#MovistarYamaha | #MotoGP | #QatarGP | @ValeYellow46 pic.twitter.com/PihGMmNxbx

— Yamaha MotoGP (@YamahaMotoGP) March 15, 2018

"I've seen a lot of drivers and riders retire at the top, like Schumacher, Biaggi, Bayliss...but then they always come back. So I decided to race on until the end!" said Rossi in the pre-season press conference that raised a huge laughter at the Losail media centre.

Nine-time world champion Rossi's first season with Yamaha was 2004, where he spectacularly won on his debut with the team in South Africa, before going on to take the title the same year. He went on to win the FIM World Championship again in 2005, before then losing out in 2006 and 2007. But Rossi was soon back on top.

In 2008, the rider from Tavullia claimed the title in supreme fashion - a feat he repeated the year after in 2009 to make it another back-to-back run. That marks Rossi's most recent title to date, although the number 46 has challenged for the crown since.

This new, two-year deal demonstrates both Yamaha's commitment to Rossi and vice-versa, as they seek to be fighting consistently at the front once again.

"When I signed my last contract with Yamaha, in March 2016, I wondered if that would have been the last contract as a MotoGP rider," said Rossi following the announcement of the contract on the Yamaha website and ahead of the 2018 season opener at Losai circuit in Qatar.

"At that time, I decided that I'd take that decision during the following two years.

"During the last two years, I came to the conclusion that I want to continue because racing, being a MotoGP rider, but especially riding my M1, is the thing that makes me feel good."

Yamaha Motor Racing Managing Director Lin Jarvis expressed his delight to have Rossi on board for another two years.

"It was very easy to reach an agreement together - as a Factory Team we need top riders capable to win and with the total commitment to do what it takes to achieve the goal. Despite his many years in the sport and his 39 years, Vale is as committed today as he ever was and there is no doubt he is still a top rider, as witnessed most recently by his second position in the final pre-season test here in Qatar. Now it is our job as a team and a factory to give him the best possible YZR-M1 to let him fight for race wins and championship success," said Jarvis.

Maverick Vinales of Spain is the other Yamaha rider on the grid. The season opener will be held under lights at the Losail circuit on Sunday (March 18).

Rossi's career highlights

Most successful Yamaha rider in history (56 wins, 43 second places, 35 third places on a Yamaha, scored in 206 races).

Rider who been active the longest in Grand Prix Racing (he made his debut in 1996, this will be his 23rd season, and he has made 365 Grand Prix starts in total, of which 273 were in the MotoGP class).

He competed the most seasons on a Yamaha in the MotoGP class (this will be his 13th season).

He is the only rider to win the MotoGP World Championship four times in a row (2002 - 2005).

He secured the most podiums for Yamaha in the MotoGP class (so far he has stood on the rostrum with Yamaha 134 times).

He holds the most first places for Yamaha in the MotoGP class (56 wins).

He is the only rider to complete 230 races back-to-back, without missing one (from his debut in 1996 in Malaysia until the race in Mugello in 2010).

He holds the record for most races started overall and in the premier class. (He has started 365 GP races across all classes; 305 of which have been in the premier class and 206 of those races were ridden on a Yamaha.)

He was the first rider to take back-to-back premier-class victories with different manufacturers (after his win at the 2004 season-opening GP in South Africa).

He scored five successive premier-class victories on a Yamaha (2008: USA, CZE, RSM, INP, JPN).