Valentino Rossi recalls F1 test with Ferrari alongside Michael Schumacher: “I thought he considered me an idiot!”. Valentino Rossi recalls the test he did in Valencia with a Ferrari F1, alongside Michael Schumacher.

Valentino Rossi remembers his F1 test with Schumacher: “I was a bit paranoid in the pits.” The legendary Italian motorcycle champion had the privilege of testing (on several occasions) a Ferrari single-seater alongside the seven-time world champion. It was 2006, and during a session in Spain, in Valencia, he found himself face to face with the Kaiser.

There’s been much talk about Valentino Rossi and his love for four wheels—despite his everlasting fame in the world of motorcycling. The Doctor, who just a few days ago celebrated second place in the 12 Hours of Bathurst, has earned the admiration and respect of the motorsport world. Engaged in endurance racing for several years, he nurtures the dream of winning at Le Mans.

However, his career could have taken a very different turn. In 2006, after a convincing series of tests with Ferrari, he was offered a seat in Formula 1. He would have raced with Minardi, with the goal of being promoted to Ferrari. At the time, 27-year-old Rossi decided it wasn’t the right moment to leave MotoGP.

Valentino Rossi and that test with Michael Schumacher at Ferrari
History proved him right: in 2008 and 2009, he became champion again with Yamaha, and after a stint with Ducati, he would retire in 2021.

But the Doctor still vividly remembers that test with Ferrari, especially Michael Schumacher’s presence: “I have a great memory of Schumi,” he says in an interview with Corriere della Sera. “It was known that years earlier, I had bet on Jacques Villeneuve, so against him. So when we found ourselves in the pits, I was a bit paranoid. I thought, now he’s looking at me and thinking, here’s the idiot. But he was super kind, gave me a lot of advice. A real cool guy.”

Source: f1ingenerale