Valentino Rossi on Ferrari’s radar
Ferrari have confirmed that they will do everything they can to get MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi in a Ferrari Formula One car in the future.
The Maranello outfit are trying to push the rule of having three cars per team on the grid, and Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo wants Rossi on board. “We want a third car and I would do everything to have Valentino,” he said. “When he wins this year's MotoGP, enough is enough, he must also win in Formula One.”
Rossi tested for Ferrari at the start of the year in Barcelona, and set a best time that was only two-tenths off ex-Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen’s lap record around the circuit. Rossi, nicknamed The Doctor, said: “Just to climb inside the red car and work with Ferrari was fantastic.”
Rossi is the undisputed king of MotoGP, and many believe he has achieved all there is to achieve in that discipline. His speed in a Formula One car is frightening, and he has the skills and the talent to become a Formula One driver, and he has the knack for being a racing car driver, as he has also taken part in rallying.
“I have always been a fan of racing cars, and all cars really,” Rossi said. Ferrari’s team manager, Luca Baldisserri, was equally pleased with Rossi’s performance at the start of the year, saying: “We tried different set ups and he improved a lot - this means that the driver learns quickly and has room for improvement.”
When Felipe Massa sustained his head injury last season, Ferrari almost persuaded Rossi to drive for them at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza. “I talked with Ferrari about racing at Monza. But without testing... it would not have been logical," he said. "We already decided that to enter Formula One without testing is more risky than fun. You can't go there and do everything to understand the car in three days," Rossi said.
Rossi has won six MotoGP world championships, and nine in all forms of motorbike racing. He had a chance in 2006 to switch to become a Formula One driver, saying: “I am fast enough also in Formula One. I decided to stay with the bike and, of course, I still have some doubts.”
If Ferrari manage to persuade the sport’s governing body, the FIA, to allow teams to have a third car, then Rossi might be tempted to fulfill his life-long dream and drive for the Scuderia.
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