MADRID, (Rtve.es).- Fernando Alonso will no longer have excuses not to face Valentino Rossi. The nine-time motorcycle world champion will have his long-awaited duel with the two-time Spanish Formula 1 champion. Thanks to his announced signing by Ducati, both will meet at the Italian brand’s traditional ‘Wroom Day’ together with Ferrari.
The two Italian brands from the motor world bring their drivers together in January in the Alpine town of Madonna di Campiglio, where the versions of each machine for the following season are presented.
In addition to the presentation, there is time for fun, since the pilots take advantage of the time to ski and challenge each other in kart and snow car duels.
In this way, Rossi would see fulfilled the desire to measure himself on a track against Fernando Alonso, something he has been pursuing since 2006. That year, Rossi got into a Ferrari car in Cheste and Alonso declared that the ‘Scuderia’ had wasted time and resources .
‘Il Dottore’ reacted to his words by challenging Alonso to a one-on-one, combining Formula 1 cars, rally cars and MotoGP machines. Then the Spaniard, current F-1 world champion, declined the offer.
Two years later, Rossi threw down the gauntlet again, proposing the Montmeló circuit as the stage, but he got the same result.
Rossi, the dream of Ferrari
The leap from Yamaha to Ducati given by Rossi has once again aroused the curiosity of seeing the Italian idol climbed on one of the country’s banners when he gets tired of two wheels.
One of those responsible for fueling this curiosity has been the pilot’s own father, Graziano Rossi, stating: “If Valentino has to enter Formula 1 in three or four years, nothing better than with Ducati.” Thus, ¿a fascinating adventure begins¿ at Ducati, which he hopes can continue with Ferrari.
That Rossi’s career at Ducati ends sooner or later at Ferrari is something that also seduces the president of the ‘prancing horse’ brand, Luca Cordero de Montezemolo: “I would do anything because Valentino could also win in Formula 1 with a Ferrari, when he has won this world championship in MotoGP ».
The president of Ferrari made these statements in April during a congress held in Florence, when asked about the hypothesis that the “big” teams could provide the “small” ones with a third single-seater in the Formula 1 world championship.
Then the two world champions would be seen in the same team and competing on equal terms. Who would be the fastest.