The 2020 season will be Valentino Rossi’s last at Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP. The Italian will be replaced French rider Fabio Quartararo in 2021 following a fantastic rookie season last year.
Rossi, meanwhile, said he was disappointed after Yamaha announced Quartararo will race in 2021 and he’s out. The Doctor also said that Yamaha disrespected him as an official rider so far.
“I wouldn’t say that Yamaha disrespected me, especially because they told me that if I want to continue they will support me as much as possible with a third official bike,” Rossi said.
“Of course if they had told me ‘Quartararo will race, you’re out’, I would’ve been upset. But in this way I am still the master of my destiny.” Rossi added.
In 2013 Quartararo won the FIM CEV Repsol Moto3 championship and went on to win the same title again in 2014. The previous rule against participating in the Moto3 World Championship until the age of 16 had been repealed for the winner of the then-national crown.
He’s now moving up to the premier class with Petronas Yamaha SRT, alongside more experienced teammate Franco Morbidelli.
“I was not surprised, sincerely. I already thought this from October of last year. I remember thinking it when I was in Thailand – because the performance of Quartararo changed the situation.” Rossi said.
“Because for sure if Yamaha didn’t have Quartararo, maybe we could have also more time to decide about the works seat. Also I thought that I don’t want to say yes to keeping my place in the factory team, and after that not be competitive, because this is the worst thing, especially for me.” Rossi added.
Rossi continues his future yet to be decided in the MotoGP. If he decides to continue in 2021, he will indeed have support from the Yamaha factory.
According to reports, Rossi likely would join the Petronas Yamaha SRT team in 2021, with Yamaha guaranteeing the nine-time champion factory machinery should he race on.
