-News that Valentino Rossi will retire from MotoGP after an incredible 26 years of grand prix motorcycle racing marks the end of perhaps the most iconic era in the championship’s history.

-The exceptionally charismatic and talented Italian has not just dominated the series at his peak but has also converted millions of people across the globe into fans of motorcycle racing.

-Regardless of who you cheer for, it’s simply impossible to ignore the weight of Rossi’s presence on MotoGP. To the casual fan, he’s the only rider in the series that most people (those who aren’t fans) can name, the rider whose replica helmets outnumber every other rider put together, and whose T-shirts you can spot across the globe.

-That means that there will be, regardless of Rossi’s form in recent seasons, a big hole to fill on the grid.

-The harsh reality is that nobody should still be watching MotoGP to see Valentino Rossi fight for the title. His form for much of the year before last, first with the 2020 Works Yamaha team and then again last year with Petronas SRT Yamaha, has been nothing to write home about.

-He hasn't stood on the podium since the second race in 2020, when two DNFs in front of him promoted Rossi from fifth to third, and he hasn't won a race since 2017.

- Halfway through the 2021 championship, Rossi sits in 19th place, a huge 139 points from championship leader Fabio Quartararo(who rides an identical Yamaha M1). That's four down from the 15th place he finished 2020 year.

-Yet while he played his part in not only making MotoGP huge in the first place but keeping it there throughout some hard times, the changes that have happened in recent seasons means that he’s no longer as essential as he once was.

-Simply put, while he might still be the biggest name in MotoGP, he’s no longer the only big name. Six-time champion Marc Marquez is now the guy to beat on track (in a big-picture sense, despite his troubles of 2020 and ’21), dominating the series since his debut in 2013. Championship leader Quartararo is on the verge of becoming the series’ next breakout star. And behind them, there are a whole number of riders who bring unique personalities to the series.

-And Rossi’s Academy and his MotoGP team mean that while he might be retiring, he won’t be stepping out of MotoGP altogether. But if there’s someone who can change that, then surely it’s Valentino Rossi. If he can shift even a portion of his huge fanbase from cheering for him every weekend to cheering for his team, then it’ll ensure not only a continuing legacy for Rossi but MotoGP will remain in the healthy place that he helped push it to over the course of an incredible career.