The presence of Valentino Rossi At any international motor festival, it is always a compelling argument for fans and followers of the Italian to travel to the place to share an almost unique moment with him. That is why the return of the nine-time world motorcycling champion to the Goodwood Festival has become one of the most recurring topics in recent weeks.
Basically for two main reasons: the first of them is that more than a decade had to pass for “il Dottore” to once again appear in the legendary speed event in West Sussex, England. The other is that after five years since his retirement from MotoGP, he has returned to ride the Yamaha YZF-M1 with which he concluded his sporting stage in the World Championship.
Valentino Rossi and Lando Norris in a very special celebration
The current Formula 1 world champion, Lando Norris, has been one of the main attractions of the 2026 Goodwood Festival of Speed. In addition, he has become Valentino Rossi’s stellar partner in the celebration events around Monster Energy, the brand sponsor of both drivers.
That is why the one from Tavullia, in addition to getting on the 2020 YZF-M1, also had the opportunity to do the same at the controls of a BMW V12 LMRthe same racing car that managed to win the demanding 24 Hours of Le Mans in the 1999 season. Furthermore, that victory became the first obtained by the German brand throughout its history of participation in the legendary French event.
Rossi and his passion for everything that has wheels
After his withdrawal from the Motorcycle World Championship in the 2021 MotoGP season, Valentino Rossi left behind a record of achievements within the reach of very few athletes within the motor discipline. Throughout 26 seasons battling in the elite, won 9 world titles: one 125 cc and another 250 cc and no less than seven crowns in the premier class, the last of them with Yamaha in 2009.
After his unsuccessful time at Ducati, he returned to Yamaha still at the peak of his performance, winning the MotoGP runner-up position on three consecutive occasions between 2014 and 2016. He took his 89th and final victory at the 2017 Dutch GP, but an eighth title ultimately eluded him. After his retirement from the World Championship, he joined the GT World Challenge Europe with Team WRT in 2022, driving an Audi R8 LMS Evo in what was his first major experience in endurance racing.
His debut with BMW in 2023 led to his first experience in the World Endurance Championship in 2024, and after a couple of seasons racing a BMW M4 in the LMGT3 category, Rossi was looking to make the jump to the Hypercar category in 2026. Something that ultimately has not materialized, although the Italian has wasted no time, making his first appearance this season with Team WRT in the Intercontinental GT Challenge.
Finally, he took third position along with Augusto Farfus and Raffaele Marciello. After confirming his presence at Goodwood 2026, Valentino declared: “I’m very happy and proud to be back at Goodwood. It’s been just over ten years since I was last here. It’s always a special event, a very special and unique weekend.”
He concluded: “It’s amazing how big the event has become, so it’s great to be here for all the fans, and riding my M1 is always fantastic, so it’s great to ride again. Yamaha has been a huge part of my life, so it’s always exciting when we meet again, and doing so with my 2020 YZR-M1 makes the occasion even more meaningful.”
