More Valentino Rossi twaddle
Rumours are circulating the interweb again that Valentino Rossi has his eyes on a seat at Ferrari. It comes from a fragment of an interview in Gazzetta dello Sport which, as usual, has been beaten into shape and blown up out of all proportion by z-grade ‘news’ providers:
For Ferrari make a team as strong as the Yamaha team, it should hire Sebastian Vettel alongside Alonso… And, if [Luca di Montezemolo] is currently looking for the opportunity third car, he should give it to me.
The whiff of Google Translate hangs heavily over this piece of guff. Since the business of teams being able to run third cars is utterly dead in the water – and has been for yonks – the whole premise of this rumour is utter balls.
It’s utter balls on another front, too: Rossi is currently struggling with a career-threatening shoulder injury he sustained when he fell off his motocross bike. He’s finding it hard enough to perform in MotoGP, let alone consider a swap to Formula 1. Do none of these idiots check their facts before clicking “Publish” and charging their gullible clients a few cents?
Silly question, I suppose…
Well, he certainly won’t be getting behind the wheel of a Ferrari anytime soon now…
I have a feeling deMontezemolo is trying to negotiate something and keeps suggesting third cars so that he can can give up the third car in return for him getting whatever it is he really wants.
Looks like Rossi has a bad leg injury and with his Yamaha contract up at the end of the year you have to wonder if his leg and shoulder injuries will be enough to convince him to give up Moto GP where he has absolutely nothing to prove to anyone. If that happens it will be interesting to see what he does next. I would expect if that happens he will go rallying rather than racing.
Well, quite. Who’d have thought that within a couple of hours of me putting finger to keyboard, Vale would be lobbing himself and his bike down the road?
Rossi to F1 always makes a good headline doesn’t it, whichever way the story behind it runs. I suspect that’s why Graziano Rossi brought it up to journalists he spoke to after Valentino’s recovery in the Florence hospital and why Montezemolo keeps bringing it up despite the results of Rossi’s last F1 test.
@Stuart C
Well, thanks for cocking up the MotoGP season, Stuart. Jeepers.
While I would agree with Mr. Roy that Rossi has “absolutely nothing to prove to anyone” in MotoGP I do think The Doctor wants to retire with more/all of the major records, and I think he’s got a few wins to go to take Agostini’s GP wins record (although besting Ago’s 15 world titles is pretty unlikely, even for Rossi).
From what I’ve read, it seems highly unlikely Rossi will ever move to F1. I strongly suspect he would be bored in a series where success depends so much on the equipment. In 2004 he rode an inferior bike to the title, and he didn’t do it through luck and mechanical breakdowns by his competitors. He did it by kicking everyone’s ass cuz he was the best rider out there. How often has that happened in F1? Ever?
Ah, the old -
Interviewer: If Ferrari were to offer you a seat in a third car, would you take it?
Rossi: Of course I would. No one could turn down an opportunity like that.
Headline in cheap rag: Rossi To Drive For Ferrari!!!!!!