Last week, we brought you the first images of Valentino Rossi’s new race car, a Ferrari 458 Italia endurance racer. Now, thanks to our friends at Monster Energy, here’s some high-quality, professional photos of The Doctor’s new toy.
When former Champ Valentino Rossi isn’t losing races on a Ducati, he’s losing them in this Ferrari 458 Italia. Racing this weekend in the Blancpain Endurance GT3 class at Monza, Rossi and hetero life partner Uccio finished 18 in a field of 55 drivers, completing the two hour race a little over two minutes behind the winning BMW Z4. :continue:
AGV has upped their game with the new AGV PistaGP. They used a freakin’ lazer to scan Valentino Rossi’s head and designed the helmet from the inside out around the resulting 3d model, unlike the traditional method of creating the outer shell first then going inside. The new visor mechanism is minuscule at 71% smaller than before. And then there’s the shape: small, lean and reptilian, it looks more like something out of Tron than a motorcycle helmet. I once said that the XR1R was the nicest helmet ever, but it looks like the PistaGP may be poised to steal the crown.
Update: Now with 77-photo mega gallery
Top-level MotoGP racing machines almost never reach private hands. But, two of the most significant Ducatis ever, one of Casey Stoner’s GP10s and Valentino Rossi’s GP11 are going on auction in May. These are true race machines. Stoner took the above bike to victory at Phillip Island while Rossi placed 3rd on the other bike at Le Mans. :continue:
Suddenly, it looks like the Valentino Rossi the world is in awe of might be back. First, it was the clear comfort he displayed on the new aluminum beam-framed Ducati Desmosedici GP12, now he’s had the metal that was put in his leg after the 2010 Mugello crash removed. The former champ tweeted this picture, saying, “Hello guys, here’s the plate and screws that were inside my leg. I didn’t know they were green!” That broken leg ended Rossi’s championship hopes in 2010 and, some would argue, combined with the crappy GP11 to scupper them last year too. 2012 is going to be interesting.
You’ve probably seen this photo of Rossi sliding his Ducati GP12 during pre-season testing. And, if you’re an armchair expert, you’ve likely suggested that the photographer, the famed Gigi Soldano, manipulated it in Photoshop. You can tell because the pixels are all wrong and you’ve seen quite a few ‘Shops in your time. But, it’s real. And, to prove so, Gigi has just released the full sequence that was captured as Rossi passed his camera. :continue:
Leaked on Twitter and Facebook earlier today by a handful of close followers of the Ducati MotoGP circus, these are the first-ever photos of The Doctor’s GP12. Apparently snapped during pre-season testing at Sepang, what do they show us? Well, the aluminum beam frame appears identical to that of Karel Abraham’s bike. Yes, the Ducati Desmosedici GP12 will be ditching the controversial carbon monocoque.
Update: Now it looks like the Rossi-livery bike is the one being used by satellite teams, while the black one seen here is the actual GP12. The swingarm pivot plates are slightly different. Bunch of new images in the gallery.
You love MotoGP, I love MotoGP, but no one else loves MotoGP. That’s because no one’s ever done a good job of capturing and communicating the spectacle, the thrill and the shear heart-in-mouth drama of a motorcycle race into a format that works away from the track. Except English director Mark Neale. His latest film, “Fastest,” tells the story of the dramatic 2010 season, which saw Valentino Rossi foiled in his attempt at a 10th World Championship, first by younger riders like Casey Stoner and Jorge Lorenzo, then a broken leg. It goes on sale in the US today and it’s a masterpiece. :continue:
This is Valentino Rossi checking out the new, still camo’d, Ducati 1199 Panigale. Rossi’s tiny (5’ 11”), but doesn’t this photo make the new Duc look distinctly human-sized? After his first sit, the MotoGP rider described the bike as “a gem.”
Photo: Danilo Petrucci
Rossi hasn’t released an official statement saying whether or not he’ll be racing at Motegi, but his Misano helmet tells us a lot about what’s on his mind. The infographic in the speech bubble shows a cartoon skull and cross-bones, starburst, lightening, tornado, thunder-cloud, bomb and finally, !?!. A radioactive drop-shadow sets the context. :continue:
