Rossi: 400 race starts in numbers

With Valentino Rossi celebrating his historic 400^th race start at the Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island, take a look at the Italian’s career in numbers.

The 40-year-old made his 340^th premier class start at the weekend to reach the big 400 in a stellar career which began all the way back in 1996 with his rookie 125cc season.

While many of Rossi’s feats speak for themselves, not to mention his impact on the sport off the track, here’s what makes the nine-time world champion stand out as one of the greatest of all time.

Assuming Rossi stays fit and healthy he is effectively guaranteed to reach a total of 422 race starts, with two races to go in 2019 plus the 20-round 2020 campaign, with the 40-year-old’s current Yamaha contract expiring at the end of the next season. But the Italian’s future beyond that number remains uncertain as he wants to assess his performances and Yamaha’s pace over the opening rounds of 2020 before making a decision on the next step of his career.

Rossi career statistics:

125cc (1996-1997): 30 Races, 12 Wins, 15 Podiums, 5 Pole Positions, 9 Fastest Laps, 432 Points, 1 World Title (1997)

250cc (1998-1999): 30 Races, 14 Wins, 21 Podiums, 5 Pole Positions, 11 Fastest Laps, 510 Points, 1 World Title (1999)

500cc (2000-2001): 32 Races, 13 Wins, 23 Podiums, 4 Pole Positions, 15 Fastest Laps, 534 Points, 1 World Title (2001)

MotoGP (2002-Present): 308 Races, 76 Wins, 175 Podiums, 51 Pole Positions, 60 Fastest Laps, 4721 Points, 6 World Titles (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008 and 2009)

Total (1996-Present): 400 Races, 115 Wins, 234 Podiums, 65 Pole Positions, 95 Fastest Laps, 6205 Points, 9 World Titles