Rossi dreams of Ducati ride

[bluninja]

Rossi dreams of Ducati ride

By Paul Atherton Rossi is negotiating a new contract with Honda MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi has said it would be a dream to ride for the Ducati team, but says his priority is to remain with Honda. Rossi's contract with Honda expires this year and the Italian is in talks about a new deal. But negotiations have a hit a stumbling block over the length of the contract, with Honda anxious to hold on to their prize asset with a longer-term contract, but Rossi preferring the freedom of a one-year deal. The protracted talks have opened the way for Ducati to make an offer, and Rossi admits to being attracted by a move to the Italian giants. He said: "Of course, it is a dream to ride with Ducati. All Italians want to ride for Ducati. And the bike is fast. "But my first target is to stay with Honda. We're speaking with Honda. They want a two-year contract. "I want to sign for one year because it suits me better to make a choice every year. But Honda don't want that. That's the biggest problem." Rossi denied that the delay in signing a new contract was about money. "Money is important for everyone, but the difference between the money on offer from one team and the other teams is not that different. "It's more about the level of the bike and the feeling with the team and the engineers." The 24-year-old added that he will quit MotoGP in two or three years, by which time he hopes to be ready to fulfil his dream of competing in Formula One. He said: "F1 is still a dream. Maybe it's possible - I don't know what will happen in the future. "I will stay in MotoGP for another two or three years. I'm quite young so maybe I have enough time. I don't know if it's possible, but maybe." Taken from www.bbc.co.uk

[Coldkiwi]

I guess we have to assume that his talents are highly tarmac orientated then and not just limited to two wheels... otherwise he'll never get a ride in F1 by driving like he did in that rally car!

Interesting trivia question, Has anyone raced in both F1 and MotoGP (or the older equivalents) before?

[bluninja]

No, but given that MotoGP is only in it's second year it's not surprising. But yes there has been a motorbike world champ who went on to win F1 ...John Surtees.

TTFN

[SPman]

Mike Hailwood spent some years in F1, ending up driving a Maclaren, which he crashed and buggered his foot. Then he retired, moved to Mairangi Bay! before being tempted back into bikes.

[Dave]

wouldn't that be a strong combination if capirossi and rossi were riding the ducati's.

[Coldkiwi]

John surtees... what a legend! Wouldn't it be great to see another biker take it to the premier cage boys!? Funny how you never see the car drivers going to bikes...

[Dave]

Damon Hill was a successful bike racer in the u.k. before going on to win an F1 championship.
But I can not think of one car driver thats done good on bikes!

[merv]

Bike racers seem to go to cars when they grow old which shows bikes are more of a young persons sport. Plenty have done that besides Surtees e.g. Gardner, Hansford, Cecotto, Lawson, Schwantz, Crosby, Freeth, Brinck and Aaron Slight to name a few. The car racers I guess by the time they are ready to quit cars are way too old to be competitive on bikes. I can't see Brock or Johnson leaping on a MotoGp bike now just because they want a change from cars.