Motor Sports: Hail the new king -- Rossi

It is not hard to see that an era of motorbike racing has just begun. The name of this era is Rossi -- Valentino Rossi.

The New Champ

From humble beginnings this talented rider has always looked the goods on one day emulating his father Graziano, and going one step further to be the best around.

Valentino became just the third rider to win all formats of the Motorcycle World Championship, whihc are 125cc, 250cc, and 500cc. He is the youngest rider ever to undertake this feat.

In just his sixth season in MotoGP, Valentino has scribed three World Championships to his name.

The talented young Italian has won 37 races before reaching the age on 23. He has won far more races than any other rider his age in comparison. Fellow Italian Loris Capirossi held the previous mark at 15 races.

Rossi won the world flag with two races to run. The win at Philip Island Australia was so sweet to his Honda team, including Mick Doohan, his manager.

The rest of the field

Leaving the others in his wake, there has been no room for any others this season. With nine race wins, Rossi, aboard the Nastro Azzuro Honda, has eliminated the competition.

Max Biaggi, who is Rossi's bitter rival, managed second at the Australian Grand Prix. But, the fact is, it has been second best all year.

Other riders including Loris Capirossi and Alex Barros have had a steady but credible year.

Last year's World Champion, Kenny Roberts Jr., has had a very forgettable year. The Telefonica MoviStar Suzuki rider has gone backwards in terms of performance, and may find it in his interest to switch to a more competitive team.

Michael Doohan's Prediction

The most successful rider in history, and Valentino's manager, has voiced his thoughts on the bright youngster.

His warning is “Watch out” to Valentino's fellow riders, because this kid means business.

Doohan who continually won world flags for Honda in the mid to late '90s believes that Rossi will be a champion for years to come.

The future of MotoGP

The future is bright for most riders. Next year will see the switch to four-stroke racing.

At the moment, most teams will be at the same point in terms of development of their new machines. This is a big chance for the smaller teams to really have a go.