Valentino Rossi and the Ferrari 458 GT3 at Monza

After his dismal results during the Qatar GP, this weekend Valentino Rossi has decided to switch to four wheels and take part in the Blancpain Endurance Series at Monza.
Driving a Kessel Racing #46 Ferrari 458 Italia, Rossi and BFF Alessio ‘Uccio’ Salucci yesterday qualified 10th on the grid with a best lap of 1:48.

962 (Daniel Zampieri set the fastest time overall in 1:47.
923 on Kessel Racing’s Ferrari) ahead of Sunday’s race.

If anyone expects that Rossi will turn to World Superbikes in the future, as he hinted at in March 2011 -“In a few years, when I’m older, I could even race in Superbikes with Ducati – the former World Champion seems to have changed his mind, again.
β€œIn the future if I want to go racing it is better for me in a car than on a bike.
I have done rallying but it is more about controlling the car on the slide on the gravel.

In GT racing it is about racing lines, breaking and rhythm and I enjoy it a lot.
I enjoy sprint races because I have more experience in that but the Blancpain is just right for me at three hours.

It is between a sprint race and an endurance race.
The field of cars is impressive and the driver line-up very strong.
Being in the top 10 in qualifying is a great result and being under 1:49 is a good lap time at Monza.
Tomorrow it will be important to get the rhythm – one lap is one lap but three hours is very different,” said Rossi.
The three-hour endurance race starts today at 13:15 GMT.