Valentino Rossi didn't want to 'finish last' for the final race of his career in Valencia<

MotoMotoGP, ValenciaValentino Rossi finished tenth in his last race in MotoGP. (@photopsp_lukasz_swiderek/Sports Press)

Tenth in his last GP, Italian legend Valentino Rossi left MotoGP this Sunday with his head held high and a smile from ear to ear after celebrations worthy of his immense career.

" What are your first impressions ? I did not expect that. I was a little worried about the last weekend of my career. Because you always think long before this moment and you never know if you will succeed in this exit, to stay focused, not to be too sad. But it was really a great outing. I received a lot of support, especially from other MotoGP riders and it's not trivial. In the race, I managed to finish in the top 10, it means that I finish my long career with the ten best drivers in the world, it was very important, it means a lot. I could say that I finished my last race in the Top 10 (laughs). And at the end, it was really nice, because we celebrated it as if I had won the Championship. It's something I will never forget.

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— Tracy Sat Jan 04 00:25:39 +0000 2014

How was the race? Today (Sunday) I felt motivated and focused like I was playing for the title because the last race is THE last race. It is important because we cannot forget it. And it wasn't easy because I had a lot to do, a lot of pressure. I'm very proud of that: I managed to drive well, to make no mistakes, I gave my all from start to finish.

“I think it will be more difficult to live in the next few months, probably in March, when the season will resume and I will not be there”

What is your analysis of your 26th and final season? The season has been long and not easy. It was a crucial season for me, in order to know if I was going to continue. But the results did not come. It's easy to say: I quit. But after Portugal, I said to myself that I had to do better because there was only one race left even if it was on one of the worst circuits for me. I didn't want to finish last. And there, it is beyond my expectations. I think it's the best race of my season. It was important to get a good result today (Sunday).

Do you regret things in your career? I would have liked to win a tenth world title (he has 9 including 7 in the queen category). But the first thing I regret is that it's already over. I think it will be more difficult to live in the next few months, probably in March, when the season will resume and I will not be there. And maybe if I had tried as hard in the first years of my career as in the last ten, I could have won more races but it's normal to be a bit stupid when you're older young (laughs). It's something you learn with experience. »