Rossi talks on TT and WRC

Added on Wednesday, April 29th, 2009 by Carole Nash Editor | No Comments

Valentino Rossi will make a flying lap of the world famous Isle of Man TT circuit and has once again spoken of his desire to make a move to the World Rally Championship.

The MotoGP world champion will take advantage of a break in the MotoGP season to ride alongside fellow Italian great Giacomo Agostini at the festival as well as taking in one of the weekend’s Superbike events.

“The MotoGP schedule is very busy around this time of year, but this year the TT has moved dates a little and there is a week gap between Mugello and Catalunya, so now at last I have the opportunity,” the 30-year-old Rossi said.

But Rossi has once again spoken of a potential switch to four wheeled racing after he has finished his biking career, with the World Rally Championship being the likely destination.

Talk of the 30-year-old making the switch to four wheeled racing is nothing new. Rossi, whose contract with Yamaha expires at the end of the 2010 season, has previously held talks with the Ferrari Formula One team, helped out with testing on a number of occasions and taken up a number of wildcard posts in WRC although as he fast approaches the landmark of 100 race wins and the record of 122 set by Agostini, talk has once again centred on life after bikes.

“I hope to switch to four wheels [after MotoGP],” he claimed as reported by Reuters. “I think it’s too late for Formula 1 but I hope to have the second part of my career in cars.

“It’s always been my great passion. I grew up beside my father Graziano, who drove rally cars, so I hope when I finish with bikes I have another 10 years in rallying.”

Rossi has however slammed the door shut on a possible career in F1, claiming that his decision to remain in bikes last year ended any future hope of a Formula One seat.

“I had my chance to go into F1 at the end of 2006. I spoke a lot with Ferrari. I had a serious plan to be the test driver in 2007 and then start to race in 2008 but I decided to stay with bikes – so it meant me and F1 were finished,” he said.

Instead it is the World Rally Championship, where Rossi has made three ‘wild-card’ appearances, which looks set to one-day replace MotoGP.

“I think WRC is the main option,” he confirmed. “I have a great relationship with Ford so maybe it will be Ford. I will decide in the middle of 2010.”

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