New team, same Rossi: Winning with Yamaha

The switch from Honda to Yamaha did not upset Rossi’s winning rhythm as he immediately claimed his fourth and fifth successive premier class titles with Yamaha.

Wasting no time in settling on the Yamaha prototype, Rossi won his first race of the 2004 MotoGP season on his new machine at Welkom and collected 11 podiums – including nine wins – on his way to glory. ‘What a Spectacle’ was the triumphant slogan on his t-shirt as he secured the title at Phillip Island.

The following year in 2005 provided another crown and yet another memorable festivity. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs joined Rossi on the track at Sepang as he marked his seventh World title in a season that delivered 11 wins.

‘Sorry for the delay’ was the party line at Motegi in 2008 as Rossi reclaimed the title which had for the past two years been won by Nicky Hayden and Casey Stoner respectively. Nine wins and a total of 13 podiums are the statistics of an eighth World title winning season.

At 30 years old, the success shows no sign of fading as Rossi held off the spirited challenge of Fiat Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo throughout the 2009 campaign to take his ninth World title at Sepang, with ‘The old hen makes good soup’ Rossi’s celebratory tag.