After his dismal results during the Qatar GP, this weekend Valentino Rossi has decided to switch to four wheels and take part in the Blancpain Endurance Series at Monza.

Driving a Kessel Racing #46 Ferrari 458 Italia, Rossi and BFF Alessio ‘Uccio’ Salucci yesterday qualified 10th on the grid with a best lap of 1:48.962 (Daniel Zampieri set the fastest time overall in 1:47.923 on Kessel Racing’s Ferrari) ahead of Sunday’s race.

If anyone expects that Rossi will turn to World Superbikes in the future, as he hinted at in March 2011 -“In a few years, when I’m older, I could even race in Superbikes with Ducati - the former World Champion seems to have changed his mind, again.

“In the future if I want to go racing it is better for me in a car than on a bike. I have done rallying but it is more about controlling the car on the slide on the gravel. In GT racing it is about racing lines, breaking and rhythm and I enjoy it a lot. I enjoy sprint races because I have more experience in that but the Blancpain is just right for me at three hours. It is between a sprint race and an endurance race. The field of cars is impressive and the driver line-up very strong. Being in the top 10 in qualifying is a great result and being under 1:49 is a good lap time at Monza. Tomorrow it will be important to get the rhythm – one lap is one lap but three hours is very different,” said Rossi.

The three-hour endurance race starts today at 13:15 GMT.

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Valentino Rossi will be making his first public appearance following his controversial comments in Qatar during the Blancpain Endurance Series this weekend at Monza where he’ll be racing a Kessel Racing specially prepared Ferrari 458 sponsored by his own company VR46 and Monster Energy.

The Italian showed off the livery of the car and the steering wheel via his Twitter account @ValeYellow46 that he’ll be driving with BFF ‘Uccio’ Salucci who tweeted his own pic of the car.

Rossi will be needing a cordon of body guards to keep the Italian press and camera crews at bay that will no doubt turn out in full force trying to get an interview, while Striscia la Notizia, Italy’s satirical news show will be present with Valerio Staffelli - the comedian that hosted Ducati’s GP12 live streaming presentation last month - and will try to give the Tapiro d’Oro (Golden Tapir), a golden statue which is a special “prize” delivered to big celebrities or politicians who have been humiliated or defeated and this will be the second he’ll be receiving.

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Another car vs motorcycle video, and this time it’s two of Italy’s expensive and iconic best, Ducati’s 1198S and the Ferrari 458 Italia who take each other on. Guess who won the challenge? Watch the video to find out.

Source | fasterandfaster.net

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They say nothing can stop Valentino Rossi when he sets his mind to something and despite having spent Thursday in a Pesaro ER for an inflamed appendix, on Friday the Italian champion was back on track at Ferrari’s private Fiorano circuit taking a spin on Ferrari’s lastest family jewel, the 458 Italia Coupe.

Rossi was at Maranello meeting with Ferrari technicians and trying out the team’s new Formula 1 simulator to order to prepare for the Barcelona test that will take place on January 20-21st.

At the Circuit de Catalunya, Rossi will be running a Ferrari Formula 1 car from 2008 due to FIA’s testing restrictions on using this year’s cars.

Source | ferrari.com

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