Could MotoGP title holder Valentino Rossi possibly possess any faster driving skills, regardless of what type of machine he’s controlling?
The nine-time world champion finished up two days and more than 370 miles of testing a Formula One Ferrari F2008 at Circuit de Catalunya in Spain Thursday.
His best lap time? Under clear track conditions in Montmeló, the 30-year old posted a best time of 1:21.9 during his second-to-last lap…just shy of the lap record of 1:21.67 set by Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen of Finland in 2008.
But Rossi reportedly had some troubles during the early part of testing Thursday; the Italian made two “almost identical” errors at the entrance of the chicane, one that is not used during MotoGP racing, according to MotoGP.com.
“I haven’t driven an F1 car for a year (last was at Mugello in 2008), but today we worked on the setting,” said Rossi, who was hospitalized Jan. 14 for severe abdominal pain. “It’s always interesting to go a little further than just driving. I think it’s nice for Italian fans to see me driving a Ferrari. On the other hand, I must say that Montmeló is even more fun than Mugello.”
The F2008 Rossi tested was used by Ferrari to win the 2008 World Constructor’s Championship (WCC), which is awarded to the most successful Formula One racecar maker of the season, based on points accumulated throughout the season. Ferrari currently holds 16 WCCs, the most of any other racecar constructor.
The testing at Catalunya was Rossi’s sixth with Ferrari since 2004, but the speculation remains if Rossi is making his entrance into the world of Formula One racing. It seems the answer lies within the renewal of his MotoGP contract with Yamaha.
He states, “It’s a special situation because the four fastest riders in the World Championship are in the final year of their contracts. Personally, I’ll think about it around June and may have decided by then. I’m happy with Yamaha, so I want to talk with them before anyone else.”
