Idman.biz
In sports history, it is rare to find pilots who replace two-wheeled vehicles with four wheels. Exactly 22 years ago today, MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi fulfilled his lifelong dream by getting behind the wheel of Ferrari's F2004 car on the Fiorano track.
Idman.Biz reports that just three days after winning the opening round of the 2004 season with Yamaha, Rossi visited Ferrari's private test track. Sharing the track with Michael Schumacher and Luca Badoer, who were preparing for the San Marino Grand Prix, the pilot nicknamed "The Doctor" quickly mastered the secrets of the Formula 1 car.
The results of the tests even exceeded the expectations of the Ferrari management. The Italian pilot showed a magnificent performance, only 0.7 seconds behind Schumacher's indicator. Although some sources reported that the difference was close to three seconds, Rossi's speed shocked the engineers. Michael Schumacher himself could not hide his surprise when reviewing his friend's performance.
Rossi wore one of Schumacher's spare helmets as a sign of respect. After the test, he said that driving a Formula 1 car was an incredible experience and thanked Ferrari for this opportunity. Schumacher highly appreciated Rossi's talent and emphasized that he had a racing spirit in his blood.
This first test led to Rossi appearing on the track with Ferrari several times in later years, and serious discussions about a possible move to Formula 1 in 2006. However, the MotoGP icon eventually made his choice in favor of two wheels.
