A selection of stats relating to Valentino Rossi's ninth World Championship triumph, which he secured on Sunday at the Shell Advance Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix.
In 2009 Fiat Yamaha's Valentino Rossi has continued to grow his legend and cement his place in the history of Grand Prix motorcycle racing. The Italian's ninth career title is his seventh in the premier-class and his fourth since joining Yamaha in 2004. Here are some more statistics from the fourteenth season of his career:
- Rossi has now matched Mike Hailwood and Carlo Ubbiali with nine titles in all classes. Only Giacomo Agostini with 15 and Angel Nieto with 13 have more.
- Rossi's win in Assen this season made him only the second rider in history to take 100 wins in all classes. Rossi now has 103, 19 less than Agostini's all-time record of 122.
- He already held the all-time premier class victories record, having beaten Agostini's tally at Indianapolis in 2008. He now a premier-class win total of 77.
- Rossi's victory this season at Brno saw him take the all-time podium record with his 160th podium in all classes. He is also the only rider to have stood on the podium in the premier-class more than 100 times. Sunday's podium at Sepang was his 163rd in all classes.
- With 44 wins from 102 races since he joined the Japanese factory in 2004, Rossi is the most successful Yamaha rider of all time. He has 21 more wins than Kenny Roberts, Yamaha's next most successful rider.
- Rossi's latest title means he has now won more championships for Yamaha than for any of the other manufacturers he has ridden for in his career.
- His win at Misano this year was his 11th win in all classes on home soil. - Rossi is the only rider in history to have won at least one GP in 14 successive seasons.