Editing Valentino Rossi (section)

===125cc World Championship===
[[File:Tavullia valentino rossi fanshop in.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Aprilia RS 125]] (left) and 250 (right) with which Rossi won the 125cc World Championship in 1997 and the 250cc World Championship in 1999]]
The [[1996 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season|1996 championship season]] saw the debut of Rossi, then 17, in Grand Prix motorcycle racing. He had some success in his first year, scoring consistent points in his races from Malaysia to Italy, retiring in both the French and Dutch rounds. He finished fifth in Germany, but suffered another retirement in the British round.

At the [[1996 Austrian motorcycle Grand Prix|1996 Austrian Grand Prix]], Rossi achieved his first ever podium by finishing in third place after battling with [[Jorge Martínez (motorcyclist)|Jorge Martínez]].<ref name="auto">Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/ZWwcONWpZ0w Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20160810103539/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWwcONWpZ0w&gl=US&hl=en Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWwcONWpZ0w |title=#RacingTogether: MotoGP™ comes back to Austria|date=10 August 2016|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref name="auto1">{{cite web|url=https://www.mcnews.com.au/motogp-statistics-update-austria-2018/ |title=MotoGP Statistics update as Austria beckons round 11date=9 August 2018|website=Mcnews.com.au|date=9 August 2018|access-date=15 April 2019|archive-date=27 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190127141535/http://www.mcnews.com.au/motogp-statistics-update-austria-2018/|url-status=live}}</ref> In the following race, the [[1996 Czech Republic motorcycle Grand Prix|1996 Czech Republic Grand Prix]], he achieved both his first ever [[pole position]] and his first ever race victory in the 125cc class. He rode an [[AGV (helmet manufacturer)|AGV]] Aprilia RS125R and won after another tussle with Jorge Martínez.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2016/08/18/20-years-and-counting-since-rossi-s-first-win/207734 |title=20 years and counting since Rossi's first win|website=Motogp.com|date=18 August 2016 |access-date=15 April 2019|archive-date=15 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180115151929/http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2016/08/18/20-years-and-counting-since-rossi-s-first-win/207734|url-status=live}}</ref>

Rossi earned points at Imola but was forced to retire in both the Catalan and Rio rounds. He then scored points in the final round in Australia, ultimately finishing his first season in ninth place with 111 points.

In his second year, the [[1997 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season|1997 championship season]], he moved from the AGV team to the Nastro Azzurro Aprilia Team and went on to dominate the season. He took pole and the race win at the [[1997 Malaysian motorcycle Grand Prix|1997 Malaysian Grand Prix]] but retired from the next race in Japan. In the next two races, he bounced back by winning the Spanish and Italian rounds. Rossi finished second in Austria, just 0.004 seconds behind winner [[Noboru Ueda]],<ref name="auto"/><ref name="auto1"/> then scored a flurry of victories from France to Britain, including three pole positions in the Dutch, Imola and German rounds.

After third place in the Czech round, Rossi then gained two more wins in the Catalan and Indonesian races. He finished sixth in Australia. He won the 1997 125cc title, winning 11 of the 15 races with 321 points.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.visordown.com/features/general/valentino-rossi-his-first-world-championship-1997 |title=Valentino Rossi, his first World Championship in 1997 |first1=Ben |last1=Cope |date=30 July 2009 |website=Visordown |access-date=15 April 2019 |archive-date=8 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308171439/https://www.visordown.com/features/general/valentino-rossi-his-first-world-championship-1997 |url-status=live }}</ref> Throughout the season, he often celebrated in unusual ways such as dressing up as [[Robin Hood]], which earned him media attention.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.foxsports.com.au/breaking-news/as-valentino-rossi-clocks-up-300-motogp-races-speed-looks-back-at-the-six-eras-of-his-storied-career/news-story/312bcb7a0cd9463f72d8caadb04ff2ee |title=The six eras of Valentino Rossi's career|date=29 May 2014|website=Foxpsorts.com.au}}</ref>