Basking in the glory of his sixth premier class and eighth career Grand Prix title, Italy's Valentino Rossi now has set his sights on the few remaining records he has not taken from his idol, the legendary Giacomo Agostini.
''I think that if I can make it to 100 career wins then I can try to beat Agostini's 122. Now that would be quite a feat,'' the Yamaha rider said a day after his world championship triumph.
The 29-year-old rider currently has 96 career wins.
Rossi this season beat Agostini's record for victories in the premier class, 68, and has brought his total to 70 with this Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix.
With six MotoGP titles Rossi is two away from matching Agostini and he is in range of catching up with his idol for the record number of fastest laps in MotoGP, 55 to 69, and overall podium finishes, 148 to 159.
Rossi already holds the record for podium finishes in the premier class, 112.
Although he holds five consecutive titles, losing the last two means Rossi is unlikely to match Agostini's eight in a row and despite his eight overall Grand Prix titles, at 29 he does not have much chance of catching Agostini at 15.
Speaking after Sunday's victory, Rossi said he was able to triumph this season thanks to his own maturity and the decision he and the team made to switch from Michelin to Bridgestone tires.
''I've grown up a lot over the past two years. In 2006 and 2007 I learned to lose and this was very important. I am now much stronger and my levels of concentration and drive have never been higher,'' the Yamaha rider said.
''And at 29 I'm no longer as impulsive as I was when I was younger,'' he added.
Rossi also gave credit to the atmosphere at his Yamaha team ''and that's why I've decided to stay for another two years. I'm no longer 20 and I need a good atmosphere to keep me focused and happy and I have this at Yamaha''.
Rossi's professional maturity was confirmed by his father Graziano Rossi, a former Grand Prix rider, who said his son also benefited from remaining a child at heart.
''He is mature from a sporting point of view, but I will always see him as the little kid he was when he started in the 125cc class,'' Graziano told Italian radio.
''In order to race the way he does you need that child-like imagination and fantasy,'' he added.
