Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128395
Brief'Y···
Rossi To Ferrari!
M
otoGP World Champion Valentino
Rossi is headed to Formula One in
2007 after his one-year contract with
Yamaha expires at the end of 2006.
That's the conclusion drawn from
published intelViews with key Ferrari personnel at last weekend's Italian FI Grand
Prix at Monza.
Ross Brawn, Ferrari's technical director, told The Associated Press that the
Gauloises Yamaha rider could test as often
as once a month beginning this winter.
Rossi has already tested the Ferrari three
times at the company's test track in
Fiorano.
"He is already as quick as an F I driver
in the slow corners," Brawn told the AP
on Friday, September 2.
Ferrari
chairman
Luca
di
Montezemolo told Reuters that Rossi's
signing would be with the intent to win,
not to capitalize on his immense popUlarity in Italy and much of Europe.
"He is not obliged to race in F I," di
Montezemolo said. "If he decides to, it is
because he decides he is ready to win. He
knows that he must do some tests, and a
champion like him goes into Formula One
if he chooses to do so, if he feels he is
going there to win.
"Neither he nor we have a pistol to
our heads," di Montezemolo told Reuters.
"If something comes of it, it will above all
Is Valentino Rossi eyeing a spot on the Ferrari Fl team?
be his decision. If Ferrari and Rossi come
together, it will be to win the World
Championship and not to put on a show
that we do not need."
The last motorcycle World Champion
to jump to Ferrari was Britain's John
Surtees. Surtees won seven World
Championships before capturing the 1964
FI crown for Ferrari.
La Repubblica, an Italian daily newspaper, last week published an unsourced
report that Rossi will be offered a threeyear contract worth 80 million euros,
nearly $100 million.
Kimi Raikkonen, Mclaren's current F I
driver, would be his teammate, the paper
wrote.
Henny Ray Abrams
Haskovec To Road Atlanta
Picotte Perfect, But It's Not Enough
Team M4 EMGO Suzuki's Vincent Haskovec returned to
his home in the paddock for the first time since he was paralyzed in a racing accident at Infineon Raceway in May,
when he made a popular visit to the Road Atlanta racetrack
for the final AMA Superbike race of the season.
The Czech emigre sported a full beard and was wearing a team shirt when he showed up at the track on
Saturday, September 3. On Sunday he was presented with
a pair of checks totaling $200,000 from the Wegman
Benefit Fund, Race Promotion Management (RPM), Cycle
News, Road Atlanta and Suzuki.
Haskovec presented the trophies to the top three in
Sunday's Superbike race. It was the same podium where
he stole the
show with
an enthusiasz
tic recount
-;
of his first
~
II:
Superstock