Editing Valentino Rossi (section)

=====2011=====
[[File:Valentino Rossi 2011 Estoril.jpg|thumb|right|Rossi in the [[2011 Portuguese motorcycle Grand Prix|2011 Portuguese Grand Prix]]]]
On 15 August 2010, after the Brno race, Rossi confirmed he was going to ride for the Ducati factory team, signing a two-year deal starting in 2011 and joining former Honda racing teammate Nicky Hayden.<ref name="Rossi11"/><ref name="Ducati11"/> He tested the Ducati Desmosedici for the first time in [[Circuit Ricardo Tormo|Valencia]] on 9 November 2010, making this his first appearance since 1999 on an Italian motorcycle.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/sport/sportresults/MotoGP/2010/November/nov0910-rossi-tenth/|first=Matthew|last=Birt |title=Valentino Rossi tenth on Ducati debut|work=Motorcycle News|publisher=Bauer Media Group|date=9 November 2010|access-date=9 November 2010|archive-date=13 November 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101113024059/http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/sport/sportresults/MotoGP/2010/November/nov0910-rossi-tenth|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://onehd.com.au/onehd/newsarticles/Speed-Grand-Prix-New-start-for-Rossi-and-Ducati-TX-PAR-MII91.htm |title=New start for Rossi and Ducati|work=10 Bold|publisher=Ten Network Holdings|agency=Agence France-Presse|date=14 January 2011|access-date=14 January 2011|archive-date=17 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017014823/http://onehd.com.au/onehd/newsarticles/Speed-Grand-Prix-New-start-for-Rossi-and-Ducati-TX-PAR-MII91.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> Rossi underwent surgery on his shoulder which he injured during the 2010 season in order to be ready for pre-season testing in Malaysia.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2010/rossi+on+surgery+in+cattolica|work=motogp.com|publisher=Dorna Sports |title=Rossi has shoulder operation|date=14 November 2010|access-date=14 March 2011|archive-date=14 July 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714121107/http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2010/rossi+on+surgery+in+cattolica|url-status=dead}}</ref> After initial progress during the first test, the Ducati failed to meet the team's expectations in the second Malaysian test and left Rossi unsatisfied, having finished over 1.8 seconds behind Casey Stoner's pace-setting Honda.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2011/ducati+sepang+day3|work=motogp.com|publisher=Dorna Sports |title=Hayden and Rossi make final day advances|date=3 February 2011|access-date=14 March 2011|archive-date=14 July 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714121236/http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2011/ducati+sepang+day3|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2011/rossi+not+satisfied+after+sepang+test|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714121253/http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2011/rossi+not+satisfied+after+sepang+test|url-status=dead|archive-date=14 July 2011|work=motogp.com|publisher=Dorna Sports |title=Rossi not satisfied with Sepang outcome|date=24 February 2011|access-date=14 March 2011}}</ref>

There was much anticipation for the first race of the season; Rossi on an Italian bike turned quite some heads, but he started the season on a disappointing note, only finishing seventh in [[2011 Qatar motorcycle Grand Prix|Qatar]].<ref>{{cite web|work=Crash.net|publisher=Crash Media Group|url=http://www.crash.net/motogp/results/167571/1/qatar-motogp-race-results.html |title=Race results from the Qatar MotoGP, round 1 of the 2011 world championship.|date=20 March 2011|access-date=14 July 2015|archive-date=15 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150715160148/http://www.crash.net/motogp/results/167571/1/qatar-motogp-race-results.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In the second round in [[2011 Spanish motorcycle Grand Prix|Spain]], he had moved up from twelfth on the grid to third when he collided with the Honda of Casey Stoner with 20 laps to go. As Rossi edged past on the inside of Stoner, his bike slipped from under him in the wet conditions, causing both riders to slide off the track. Rossi resumed and eventually finished fifth but Stoner retired from the race.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-04-04/lorenzo-wins-spanish-gp-after-stoner-crash/2630256 |title=Lorenzo wins Spanish GP after Stoner crash|date=4 April 2011|website=ABC News|access-date=18 April 2019|archive-date=19 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190419044233/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-04-04/lorenzo-wins-spanish-gp-after-stoner-crash/2630256|url-status=live}}</ref> Rossi later apologised for the incident.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2011/stoner+and+rossi+after+clashing+in+jerez |title=Stoner and Rossi's thoughts after clashing in Jerez|work=MotoGP.com|publisher=Dorna Sports|date=3 April 2011|access-date=27 October 2011|archive-date=3 February 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120203235003/http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2011/stoner+and+rossi+after+clashing+in+jerez|url-status=dead}}</ref> Another fifth place followed in Portugal where he rose from ninth to fourth, battling with the Honda of Andrea Dovizioso who snatched fourth place from him in the line.<ref>{{cite web|work=Crash.net|publisher=Crash Media Group|url=http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/168849/1/rossi-dovizioso-was-playing-with-me.html |title=Rossi beaten in the line by Dovizioso|date=2 May 2011|access-date=27 July 2015|archive-date=24 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924002817/http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/168849/1/rossi-dovizioso-was-playing-with-me.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Rossi's best result of the year came in [[2011 French motorcycle Grand Prix|France]], where he took his first and only podium of the season. He battled hard with the Yamaha of Jorge Lorenzo and the Honda of Andrea Dovizioso, overtaking both for fifth place, when Dani Pedrosa and [[Marco Simoncelli]] in the front collided. Pedrosa crashed and retired from the race while Simoncelli was given a ride-through penalty.<ref>{{cite web|work=Crash.net|publisher=Crash Media Group|url=http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/169250/1/valentino-rossi-celebrates-first-ducati-podium.html |title=Rossi hails first Ducati podium|date=16 May 2011|access-date=15 July 2015|archive-date=16 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150716112213/http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/169250/1/valentino-rossi-celebrates-first-ducati-podium.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Rossi then finished the next four races inside the top six; fifth in [[2011 Catalan motorcycle Grand Prix|Catalunya]], sixth in [[2011 British motorcycle Grand Prix|Great Britain]], fourth in the [[2011 Dutch TT|Dutch]] round and sixth again in [[2011 Italian motorcycle Grand Prix|Italy]].<ref>{{cite web|work=Crash.net|publisher=Crash Media Group|url=http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/170677/1/rossi-finds-big-improvement-in-the-race.html |title=Rossi happy with Assen fourth|date=26 June 2011|access-date=15 July 2015|archive-date=16 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150716162457/http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/170677/1/rossi-finds-big-improvement-in-the-race.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

In round nine in [[2011 German motorcycle Grand Prix|Germany]], Rossi disappointingly finished in ninth place.<ref>{{cite web|work=Crash.net|publisher=Crash Media Group|url=http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/171313/1/depressing-race-for-ducati.html |title=Rossi: Still too far back|date=18 July 2011|access-date=15 July 2015|archive-date=16 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150716153622/http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/171313/1/depressing-race-for-ducati.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In the next two races in the [[2011 United States motorcycle Grand Prix|United States]] and the [[2011 Czech Republic motorcycle Grand Prix|Czech Republic]], he picked up two sixth places but once again scored a disappointing result when he crossed the line in tenth in [[2011 Indianapolis motorcycle Grand Prix|Indianapolis]] after he encountered gearbox problems in the race. On lap nine, Rossi ran last and considered retiring, but climbed his way back up to tenth place in the end.<ref>{{cite web|work=Crash.net|publisher=Crash Media Group|url=http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/171550/1/rossi-explains-sixth-at-us-grand-prix.html |title=Rossi analyses sixth in US GP|date=25 July 2011|access-date=19 July 2015|archive-date=24 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924002841/http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/171550/1/rossi-explains-sixth-at-us-grand-prix.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|work=Crash.net|publisher=Crash Media Group|url=http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/172124/1/rossi-buoyed-by-minor-brno-breakthrough.html |title=Rossi encouraged by Brno performance|date=15 August 2011|access-date=26 July 2015|archive-date=24 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924002849/http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/172124/1/rossi-buoyed-by-minor-brno-breakthrough.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|work=Crash.net|publisher=Crash Media Group|url=http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/172526/1/gearbox-woes-taunt-rossi-at-indy.html |title=Rossi recovers to tenth after gearbox problems|date=29 August 2011|access-date=15 July 2015|archive-date=16 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150716112027/http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/172526/1/gearbox-woes-taunt-rossi-at-indy.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Poor results continued in his "home grand prix" in [[2011 San Marino and Rimini's Coast motorcycle Grand Prix|San Marino]] and [[2011 Aragon motorcycle Grand Prix|Aragón]] when Rossi only managed to finish seventh and tenth, battling with the Tech 3 Yamaha of [[Cal Crutchlow]] before he got the better of Rossi to cross the line 0.180 seconds ahead of him.<ref>{{cite web|work=Crash.net|publisher=Crash Media Group|url=http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/172777/1/rossi-i-was-a-little-crazy.html |title=Rossi satisfied with seventh|date=5 September 2011|access-date=15 July 2015|archive-date=16 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150716161449/http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/172777/1/rossi-i-was-a-little-crazy.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|work=Crash.net|publisher=Crash Media Group|url=http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/173164/1/crutchlow-wins-rossi-battle-during-his-ride-of-the-year.html |title=Crutchlow boosts confidence with Aragon ninth|date=19 September 2011|access-date=27 July 2015|archive-date=24 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924002856/http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/173164/1/crutchlow-wins-rossi-battle-during-his-ride-of-the-year.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Rossi ended the year on a low. In the [[2011 Japanese motorcycle Grand Prix|Japanese]] round, he crashed out of the race on the first lap after a couple of corners. He collided with Jorge Lorenzo and [[Ben Spies]] and left Rossi with a blow to his finger.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2011/japan+motegi+ducati+race+rossi+hayden |title=Bad luck for Ducati in Motegi following a promising weekend|work=MotoGP.com|publisher=Dorna Sports|date=2 October 2011|access-date=27 October 2011|archive-date=9 October 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111009013540/http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2011/japan+motegi+ducati+race+rossi+hayden|url-status=dead}}</ref> Another retirement followed in [[2011 Australian motorcycle Grand Prix|Australia]] when Rossi tried to overtake [[Álvaro Bautista]] for fifth on lap 14, lost the front of his Ducati and slid out of the race.<ref>{{cite web|work=Crash.net|publisher=Crash Media Group|url=http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/174110/1/pics-valentino-rossi-crashes-out-in-australia.html |title=PICS: Rossi falls passing Bautista|date=17 October 2011|access-date=15 July 2015|archive-date=16 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150716121003/http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/174110/1/pics-valentino-rossi-crashes-out-in-australia.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

In [[2011 Malaysian motorcycle Grand Prix|Malaysia]], Rossi qualified ninth but was involved in a collision with Marco Simoncelli and Colin Edwards on the second lap of the race. Simoncelli fell while running fourth, landing in the path of Edwards and Rossi who both hit his Honda. Simoncelli's helmet also came off in the incident. The blow resulted in the Italian suffering critical injuries from which he later died in hospital.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motogp/15420069.stm |title=Marco Simoncelli dies after MotoGP crash in Sepang|publisher=BBC Sport|date=23 October 2011|access-date=27 October 2011|archive-date=23 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230323210314/https://www.bbc.com/sport/motogp/15420069|url-status=live}}</ref> In the [[2011 Valencian Community motorcycle Grand Prix|Valencian Community]] race, Rossi retired in the first corner after Álvaro Bautista fell from his bike and took down Rossi, teammate Hayden and Randy de Puniet in the process.

Rossi finished seventh in the championship with 139 points, 211 points behind champion Casey Stoner.<ref>{{cite web|work=Crash.net|publisher=Crash Media Group|url=http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/174679/1/rossi-simoncelli-end-season-tied-on-points.html |title=Rossi, Simoncelli finish 2011 tied on points|date=6 November 2011|access-date=6 November 2011|archive-date=15 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150715174344/http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/174679/1/rossi-simoncelli-end-season-tied-on-points.html|url-status=live}}</ref> He also finished a season winless for the first time in his Grand Prix career.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/23012012/58/lorenzo-rossi-fading.html |title=Lorenzo: Rossi not fading yet|work=Eurosport|publisher=TF1 Group|date=23 January 2012|access-date=13 June 2012|archive-date=27 January 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120127162303/http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/23012012/58/lorenzo-rossi-fading.html|url-status=live}}</ref>