Valentino Rossi has tested a Ferrari Formula One car in Barcelona as a reward for his latest MotoGP title.
Rossi has long been linked with a switched from two wheels to four with Ferrari and his test at Barcelona with the Italian squad was his first in two years.
The Italian was limited to just two laps in the morning due to treacherous conditions, and he spun off on the second lap. In the afternoon the track dried out enough for Rossi to test the 2008-spec Ferrari on GP2 slick tyres and he completed 68 laps, with a best lap time of 1m25.200s. This time was less than four seconds off Kimi Raikkonen’s lap record.
"I'm happy," said Rossi. "It was a good test, although it was wet in the morning and without grip I had some problems. Fortunately it dried off in the afternoon, I could use the slicks and improve my lap times."
Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali has not ruled out employing nine-time world champion Rossi on a full-time basis, should plans for teams to run three cars ever come to fruition.
“There are talks about three cars,” he said. “This would be an interesting idea and an improvement for all involved in Formula One, especially with the possibility of Rossi at the wheel. You can never say never.”
Last week, however, Rossi indicated that his future after MotoGP lies in rallying and not F1. “When I finish with bikes, I might want to see some seasons in rallying,” said the 30-year-old. “F1 would've been easier but when I finish MotoGP I'll be too old for F1."
Rossi will complete the two-day test in Barcelona today.
Twitter - follow autocar.co.ukSee all the latest Ferrari reviews, news and video
