Rossi to join Ferrari F1 team in 2007

[PeteSC]

Motorbike champion Valentino Rossi to join Ferrari F1 team in 2007 - report
08.29.2005, 05:14 AM

MILAN (AFX) - Fiat SpA's sports car unit Ferrari SpA plans to hire the Italian motorbike champion Valentino Rossi for its Formula 1 team in 2007, the daily La Repubblica said without giving a source.

The three-year contract will total 80 mln eur, it added.

Rossi will form Ferrari's new team from 2007 with Kimi Raikkoken, a Finn currently with the F1 team McLaren, replacing the current German world champion Michael Schumacher and the Brazilian Felipe Massa, it said.

Massa recently signed a contract to replace Schumacher's current teammate Rubens Barrichello next year.

Rossi, 26, is currently leading the MotoGP championship.

Nicknamed 'The Doctor', Rossi is considered to have strong charisma and to appeal to advertisers.

La Repubblica said that Ferrari's sponsor Marlboro, a US cigarette brand owned by Altria Group Inc, has asked Rossi to break up a sponsorship contract with the rival French brand Gauloise, owned by Altadis SA.

Ferrari's other main sponsor, Vodafone Group PLC could push Rossi to relinquish an advertising contract with Telecom Italia SpA, it said.

[dcMinnesota]

if that is true, it really sucks.  even though he takes a bit of the fun outta gp cause he constantly wins, he makes everyone else push themselves to be that much better and that, my friend, is fun to watch.  while actually have a championship race might be a good thing for gp, it will surely be a huge loss for the sport and more importantly, it's gonna suck not being able to watch him ride/race anymore.

phil

[frenchy4242]

Although he has been testing with them and all that i really cant see it happening. For one his contract with Yamaha is worth a rumoured 100 million euros. Also he was over 2 seconds per lap off Schumachers time in testing which is alot.
Has anyone ever wondered how many seconds ahead he could get if he actually rode as fast as he can for a whole race. Because he pulled away about 6 or 7 seconds in the last lap at Donington in the rain! when asked how and why he got so far ahead in one lap he said it was because he was cold and wanted to get home!

[billster]

Incredible.     A few MotoGP riders are thrilled at this prospect for sure.

Billster

[Red01]

Sure, 2 sec's is a lot, but how much time has he had in a F1? If he's 2 sec's off Schu in a short bit of time testing, I imagine a guy like him could quickly start coming a lot closer. He's probably looking for a new challenge, too and that may be worth a 20 mil "sacrifice" - and he'd be leaving MotoGP at the top of his game, undefeated.

[PitterB4]

I have a friend who is really into F1 and was totally impressed that Rossi was with in 2 secs of Shu's times.

[jimmym1296]

With his talent, I'm sure he'll do well. It's just there's too much politics in F. give me Nascar any day. Ok, I'm ready to take my lumps!

[Ronin]

give me Nascar any day. Ok, I'm ready to take my lumps!.

Lump one:  at least in F1 they can turn left and not nearly burn to death in a crash, Dale Jr.

P.S. nice new paint job on the C5 Dale.

[lmao_37]

how can you call nascar racing its like being on the m25 in rush hour at least moto gp is racing unlike f1 i hope rossi stays in moto gp cos its good to watch and they race not just follow each other around the track