After a stunning race at the TT Assen Circuit on Sunday, where Valentino Rossi won his third race this season, the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP rider made his first appearance at the prestigious Goodwood Festival of Speed. The event carried a theme of nostalgia and pride in the growing interest in motorsport, as Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. took the occasion to celebrate its 60th anniversary.
The nine-time MotoGP World Champion was specially invited by Lord March to make his debut at this famous event as a guest star. Rossi traveled straight from the Dutch GP to the UK to be able to attend the event, where he was accompanied by Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd Executive Vice President, Takaaki Kimura, Yamaha Motor Europe N.V President, Kazuhiro Kuwata, YMC Motorsports Division's General Manager, Kouichi Tsuji and Yamaha Motor Racing Managing Director, Lin Jarvis.
They had the pleasure of joining a star-studded guest list including numerous famous sportsmen, celebrities and VIPs, for a gala dinner and ball on the Saturday evening at Lord March's grand estate, before the action started the morning after.
Sunday kicked off with Rossi, Lord March, Kimura-san, Kuwata-san, Tsuji-san and Jarvis revealing "The Doctor's" Yamaha YZR-M1, equipped with a special livery. The yellow and retro-styled bike commemorates Yamaha Motor's 60th anniversary and the ceremony was completed by motorsport legends Kenny Roberts, Giacomo Agostini and Phil Read taking part in this celebration of Yamaha's supreme racing heritage.
Rossi's yellow bike was in good company at the Yamaha exhibition; other iconic show bikes on display were Read's 1965 RD56, Agostini's 1975 YZR500 OW23 and Roberts' 1978 YZR750 OW31.
The unveiling of Rossi's bike was followed by "The Doctor" delighting thousands of spectators when he rode up and down the 1.16-mile hillclimb in the yellow livery. The special color scheme of his YZR-M1 was similar to the one he and Colin Edwards sported 10 years ago when they marked Yamaha's 50th anniversary at the Raceway Laguna Seca with a double podium.
After the thrilling ride, there was more excitement waiting. Rossi was interviewed by Goodwood TV on the balcony of Lord March's mansion before joining the host and Formula 1 rider Nico Rosberg for lunch.
The Italian concluded his first Goodwood experience by honoring this year's theme of the Goodwoord event, "Flat-Out and Fearless: Racing on the Edge." He fully enjoyed riding in a historical Le Mans winner as well as a rally car before heading home to prepare himself for the Grand Prix in Germany, to be held in two weeks time.
Valentino Rossi takes a ride in the 1991 Le Mans-winning Mazda 787b.
Valentino Rossi drives the Porsche 926 up the hillclimb at Goodwood.
