Vale tests Ferrari F1 car

[Sprint]

From cyclenews:

MotoGP World Champion and opening round race winner Valentino Rossi tested a Ferrari F2003-GA Formula One car at the Fiorano Circuit in Italy today.

Although both Rossi and Ferrari tried to keep the test a secret, they weren't successful in doing so. Eyewitness reports said that Rossi made a "major mistake" at one point, but then settled down to turn some respectable lap times.

Rossi ended up lapping at a best of 59.00, some three seconds off Michael Schumacher's lap record at the facility. Rossi wore a red helmet in an effort to confuse anyone who saw him driving.

"It was an very exciting day for me, driving a Formula 1 car has been an extraordinary experience and it’s been great to be in Michael Schumacher’s position for a day," Rossi said. "I’m really grateful to Ferrari for offering me this opportunity.”


Sprint 8)

[Gordo]

From Autosport.com

Moto GP World Champion Valentino Rossi is lapping the Ferrari test track at Fiorano today and the Italian superstar has already shown a massively impressive aptitude for Formula 1.

Rossi had never driven any kind of single-seater before today's outing in a F2003 behind closed-doors at Fiorano, but he has already gone faster than Ferrari tester Luciano Burti's mark for the day.

Rossi is reported to have made a huge impression in lapping the track in 59.0s - that's only three seconds off Michael Schumacher's record.

Rumours have frequently linked Rossi to a switch to four-wheels, but he had previously expressed a preference for rallying over racing - he contested Rally GB in 2002.

Odds must now be shortening on Rossi attempting to emulate John Surtees's feat of winning the World Championship on four wheels as well as two, but in F1 not the WRC. Surtees, of course, was driving for Ferrari when he won his four-wheeled world title in 1964.

[Gordo]

MORE FROM www.autosport.com

Rossi did well in test, says Schu
But six-time champion reckons it was just for fun Rossi enjoyed his Ferrari test at Fiorano

Moto GP star Valentino Rossi has called his surprise Ferrari test at Fiorano on Wednesday "an amazing experience" – but the reaction of Michael Schumacher seems to indicate that it was a ‘fun' outing for the bike ace rather than indication of any serious intent to switch to four wheels.

Rossi's test was meant to be top secret, and the recent winner of the South African bike Grand Prix in his first race for Yamaha actually drove wearing one of Schumacher's spare crash helmets. Although no times were issued, Rossi is believed to have lapped the Ferrari test track in an F2004 car in 59.1s as against Schumacher's track record of 55.9s.

Asked whether he thought Rossi could be a competitive F1 driver, Schumacher said: "It's not easy to answer. He has great abilities on his bike and has shown it to some degree yesterday in the car. But he knows what it takes to do it in motorcycling and I don't know how much experience you need in the lower classes [before racing in F1].

He was just enjoying himself and had a big grin on his face
Michael Schumacher

"He could probably get to a competitive level but finding the final bit is what's difficult. But yesterday he was just enjoying himself and had a big grin on his face. He did very well and it's natural to take some time to get into it. I heard he had some karting experience and once you have racing in the blood, you know what to do."

Schumacher added that he had no desire to go the opposite way and race a Moto GP bike.

"I do actually quite regularly jump on a bike, but more the Harley-Davidson type," he said. "There is no ambition to jump on any racing bike. A bike to a car is quite safe, I'd say, but a car to bike, not so. I would be curious to experience the acceleration of such a bike though."

John Surtees, who successfully made the transition from bikes to cars, winning world championships with both, has said that if the 24-year-old Rossi is serious about switching, he needs to do it sooner rather than later.