SEPTEMBER 28, 2002

Rossi and racing

The stories that motorcycle racer Valentino Rossi could have a future in Formula 1 may be a little wide of the mark because, according to our sources in motorcycle racing, the Italian would prefer to join the World Rally Championship trail when he stops racing bikes. Rossi is to have a guest drive in a Peugeot on the Network Q Rally of Great Britain in November.

Rossi was a regular spectator to rallies with his father Graziano who took up rallying after he stopped his bike racing career and Valentino says that rallying is his big passion other than motorcycle racing. It is also worth noting that Rossi is a fervent anti-smoking fan and has rejected a number of approaches from the tobacco companies involved in motorcycling so the chances of him appearing in a BAR seem rather less than recent rumors would have one believe.