EJ25RUN
11-14-2008, 07:52 AM
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Rossi tests his Rally GB Focus
After testing his Ford Focus RS WRC this week Valentino Rossi says he is out to beat his best WRC finish of 11th place when he tackles Wales Rally GB - the final round of the WRC season - in December.
The six times MotoGP world champion first drove the car he will use in Wales on Tuesday at a test at Greystoke Forest in Cumbria.
The test was designed to help the 29-year-old get used to the M-Sport run car before he tackles the asphalt Monza Rally Sprint this weekend (14 - 16 November) and Wales Rally GB a fortnight later.
Rossi started driving at 1300hrs - later than planned because his flight from Italy was delayed by fog. Over the next five hours he completed 80km on a gravel stage representative of the roads in Wales and also had the opportunity to test the car in the dark. Stobart VK M-Sport driver Matthew Wilson was on hand to help Rossi become familiar with the car.
Speaking after the test Rossi said it was good to be back behind the wheel. “It’s a great emotion for me because it’s been a long time since I’ve driven a car in the mud,” he said. “We start today with the test here in the forest, next week we race in Monza in Italy and after we try on the Rally in Wales in December.”
The Italian’s last taste of WRC competition came in New Zealand 2006 when he drove a Subaru Impreza. “It feels quite different to that,” he said. “The new control tyre feels different too. But the car is very fast and the engine pushes a lot so I had a good feeling from the beginning.”
After impressing on his most recent WRC outing, Rossi is hoping for a better luck in Wales than he had there in 2002 when he retired 17km from the start after crashing his Peugeot 206. “My first target is to try to finish the race,” he said. “In New Zealand I arrived at 11th so we will try to improve on that result a little bit.”
Signing a new MotoGP contract with the Yamaha team in July ended speculation that Rossi might be about to step up his involvement in the WRC, but the Italian didn’t rule it out in the future. “I think it is possible when I finish with bikes,” he explained. “I don’t know, I haven’t decided yet. Anyway, I have another two years contract. After that we will see.”
Rossi tests his Rally GB Focus
After testing his Ford Focus RS WRC this week Valentino Rossi says he is out to beat his best WRC finish of 11th place when he tackles Wales Rally GB - the final round of the WRC season - in December.
The six times MotoGP world champion first drove the car he will use in Wales on Tuesday at a test at Greystoke Forest in Cumbria.
The test was designed to help the 29-year-old get used to the M-Sport run car before he tackles the asphalt Monza Rally Sprint this weekend (14 - 16 November) and Wales Rally GB a fortnight later.
Rossi started driving at 1300hrs - later than planned because his flight from Italy was delayed by fog. Over the next five hours he completed 80km on a gravel stage representative of the roads in Wales and also had the opportunity to test the car in the dark. Stobart VK M-Sport driver Matthew Wilson was on hand to help Rossi become familiar with the car.
Speaking after the test Rossi said it was good to be back behind the wheel. “It’s a great emotion for me because it’s been a long time since I’ve driven a car in the mud,” he said. “We start today with the test here in the forest, next week we race in Monza in Italy and after we try on the Rally in Wales in December.”
The Italian’s last taste of WRC competition came in New Zealand 2006 when he drove a Subaru Impreza. “It feels quite different to that,” he said. “The new control tyre feels different too. But the car is very fast and the engine pushes a lot so I had a good feeling from the beginning.”
After impressing on his most recent WRC outing, Rossi is hoping for a better luck in Wales than he had there in 2002 when he retired 17km from the start after crashing his Peugeot 206. “My first target is to try to finish the race,” he said. “In New Zealand I arrived at 11th so we will try to improve on that result a little bit.”
Signing a new MotoGP contract with the Yamaha team in July ended speculation that Rossi might be about to step up his involvement in the WRC, but the Italian didn’t rule it out in the future. “I think it is possible when I finish with bikes,” he explained. “I don’t know, I haven’t decided yet. Anyway, I have another two years contract. After that we will see.”