MotoGP Mugello: Number 46 retired at Italian Grand Prix

Valentino Rossi and the number 46 will be forever synonymous in motorcycle racing with the famous digits officially retired at Mugello on Saturday afternoon.

The ceremony, which took place on the start/finish straight in front of the Italian hero’s home fans ahead of qualifying for the Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley, retired ’46’ from further use in the MotoGP class.

Rossi took the famous VR46 combination to victory 115 times across his 26-season career, claiming nine world titles and 235 Grand Prix podiums before retiring at the close of last year and immediately being inducted into the MotoGP Legends Hall of Fame.

The 43-year-old has since switched paddocks to compete on four wheels in the GT World Challenge for 2022 while his presence remains in MotoGP as team owner to Mooney VR46 and head of the VR46 Academy, supporting a raft of riders across all three classes of Grand Prix racing.