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(Image: GETTY)

The Yamaha racer didn’t win a single race last year as rival Marc Marquez breezed to the MotoGP title.

And a TV show in his native Italy have marked the occasion by giving Rossi the ‘Tapiro de oro’ (loser of the year) award - a recognition of his disappointing season.

Canale 5 programme Striscia la Notizia dish out the dubious honour every year.

Some sports star angrily refuse to accept the trophy.

But Valentino Rossi smiled and posed with the gong for the TV show.

"I have not been able to win even one race and it's very painful, it's been a difficult season,” Rossi said.

"It's amazing that I wasted one of my best years as a driver with such a motorbike.”

Rossi was also asked if he was planning to tie the knot with his girlfriend Sofia Novello.

(Image: Striscia la Notizia)

"I do not know, not what we have decided.We have not thought about it,” he said.

Rossi wasn’t the only Italian to be given an award by Striscia la Notizia.

F1 giants Ferrari had a poor 2018 season, with star driver Sebastian Vettel unable to keep close to Mercedes star Lewis Hamilton.

The German outfit also maintained their iron-like grip on the constructors title as Ferrari wilted away.

And Prancing Horse F1 chief Maurizio Arrivabene joined Rossi in being given the Tapiro de Oro ‘prize’.