MotoGP Star of the Year vote - 6th: Valentino Rossi

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6th – Valentino Rossi 

Average score out of ten: 6.91 

Team: Yamaha Factory Racing 

Bike: YZR-M1 (Factory) 

Wins: 1 

Podiums: 6 

Poles: 0 

Fastest Laps: 1 

Championship points: 237 (13.2 points per start average) 

Championship position: 4th out of 27 

Valentino Rossi's return to Yamaha netted his first MotoGP race victory since 2010 and his highest Crash.net Star of the Year ranking since that same season - but the Italian legend was still voted two places below his championship position.

The only double winner of the Crash.net vote, in 2008 and 2009, Rossi didn't even make the top ten last year, with viewers awarding an average ranking of just 5.11 out of 10 for his final season at Ducati. That improved to 6.91 and sixth place in this year's poll, after a season of highs and lows for the seven time MotoGP champion.

A feisty ride to the podium during the Qatar season opener proved Rossi had lost none of his fighting spirit, but thereafter he often struggled to get on terms with the 'top three'. Indeed, the number four summed up Rossi's season - The Doctor finished in fourth place on no less than eight occasions, on his way to fourth in the world championship.

An emotional victory at Assen - a race you voted as the most entertaining of the season - proved the high point of Rossi's year, while six podiums doubled his total rostrum score at Ducati and the #46 showed he had lost none of his racecraft by regularly thwarting his nearest opponents in final lap battles.

But more ultimate pace was needed and the lowest point arguably came at the Valencia finale, when - even with his race leading team-mate Jorge Lorenzo attempting to slow down the field - Rossi was unable to join the victory fight.

By then, news had already broken that Rossi had decided to split from crew chief Jerry Burgess as the 34-year-old seeks to get on terms with Marc Marquez, Dani Pedrosa and Lorenzo in 2014.

Never previously beaten by a MotoGP team-mate in the world championship standings, barring his 2010 leg breaking injury, Rossi finished this season 93 points shy of title runner-up Lorenzo.

About the vote:
Over 30,000 votes were cast for the 2013 Crash.net MotoGP Star of the Year poll, where viewers were asked to award each of this year's full-time participants - only Ben Spies and Karel Abraham, injured for large parts of the season, were not included - with a mark out of ten.

The average score for each rider was then used to determine the final ranking, which will be revealed in full once the winner is announced.

Orignal post: http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/199155/1/motogp-star-of-the-year-vote-6th.html

Rossi celebrates first flag-to-flag podium

Valentino Rossi converted a front row start into his sixth podium of the 2013 MotoGP season at the shortened Australian MotoGP.

The race became a 19-lap dash with mandated pit stops at half distance because of severe tyre blistering due to the new, high grip, track surface at Philip Island.

Rossi was delighted to have finished third after a stirring battle with Cal Crutchlow and Alvaro Bautista - the trio crossing the line covered by just 0.169s!

"I liked that race," said Rossi. "I'm happy because we managed to do good work in the pits and it's my first podium in a flag-to-flag race."

Changing bikes can be tricky for riders, but having struggled with handling problems on his first bike Rossi was glad to be able to jump on his second YZR-M1.

The Doctor then rode aggressively for the final nine laps as he fought with Crutchlow and Bautista.

"With the first bike I had problems with the rear, I had a big moment at the last corner, and lost two positions with Cal and Alvaro. At the change of bike I was able to overtake them another time. The second part of the race I enjoyed more because I was faster and I had a big battle with Cal on the last laps.

"On the last lap I pushed a lot with him and it started to rain, you see streaks on the visor but don't understand how much rain, but it was the last lap for the podium so I had to try for the maximum and it was OK.

"I'm so happy to be back on the podium at Philip Island because it's always a great atmosphere and for me I'm so proud. Now we have to continue to work and I look forward to Motegi next Sunday."

With Marc Marquez having missed the pit window and been disqualified by Race Direction it was interesting to hear how each rider knew when they were required to stop.

Asked how he had made his decision, Rossi admitted that accidentally stopped later than expected:

"In the race I decided to stop on the first lap available [lap 9] to have less confusion in the pits with Jorge. But on that lap I was battling with Bautista and I couldn't see the pit board.

"Then when I was exiting turn 11 I saw Bautista pull into the pits and I thought 'f**k!' So I stopped on the next lap!"