“Go with the car, go with Ferrari because it’s something big”– Valentino Rossi was insisted to join Ferrari by Doctor’s mother after a very successful trial in Formula 1

In 2004, Moto GP greatest rider Valentino Rossi had a very successful Formula 1 trial and was offered a seat at Ferrari but chose to stick with Moto GP.

With 89 wins and seven championships, Valentino Rossi bid farewell to the Moto GP world and said hello to the GT World challenge Europe. He will be driving the Audi R8 LMS GT3 with Belgium’s W Racing Team (WRT).

But did you know he also gave a trial for Ferrari and was very close to joining Formula 1?

Describing the secret F1 trial, which would not have led to 7 world championships in Depth with Graham Bensinger show, Rossi said:

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“That was a very big moment of my life. Stefano Domenicali called me and said, why don’t you try our car? We have a track in Fiorano – it is interesting, fast, and has a hairpin.

“I said okay, and we organized it. We arrived in secret the day before because we tried to keep it secret, but it wasn’t at the end.”

The Doctor is Smooth with the Four Wheels as seen by Ferrari

Rossi’s Ferrari private test was followed by another in Valencia, where the 42-year-old pitted his skills against 14 other Formula One drivers. Rossi lost control of the car and spun onto the gravel while racing around the wet circuit on the first day, so things didn’t go as planned.

The Italian finished eighth overall on the second day, just seven-tenths of a second slower than F1 legend Michael Schumacher’s best lap time around the track.

Did not sign an F1 contract despite Mother’s approval

Rossi also talked about how he was close to signing for Formula One due to his mother’s desire, but his heart was set on Moto GP. “In 2006, I did a test, a real test with the real drivers in Valencia. It was a good test. I was quite fast.”

“But I remember when I came back home, I decided to stay in MotoGP.

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“For F1, I had a plan, but it was not straight with Ferrari. It started with a small team, trying to make some experience, and after if I am fast enough I’d arrive at Ferrari. But I had a lot of question marks.”

“I also had a lot of pressure from my side. ‘Go with the car’, ‘go with Ferrari’ because it’s something big. Everybody when I tried to explain and try to ask for help for my decision, they say to me ‘no, no, you have to go to F1’. Also, my mother, for example.”

“I think I have to decide myself, and in my heart, I think I have to stay with MotoGP.”