Mercedes offers F1 test to Valentino Rossi and Sebastien Ogier
Toto Wolff, the executive director of the Mercedes team, plans to put MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi and WRC star Sebastien Ogier behind the wheel of his all-conquering F1 cars next year.
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Mercedes has already tested with former MotoGP champion Jorge Lorenzo, who drove for a filming day with the squad at Silverstone in October.
After the test, Lorenzo reported that braking distances and grip levels in high-speed corners were “insane” and a “different world” to MotoGP.
Watch Lorenzo’s F1 test…
Plans for new superstar test outings
But now Wolff says he wants to see fellow racing/rallying heroes Rossi and Ogier also try the three-time World Championship-winning breed of Mercedes F1 hybrid turbos.
“F1 also is about entertainment,” Wolff told Gazzetta dello Sport. “And I would love to test the ability of Valentino Rossi and Sebastien Ogier behind the wheel of our machines.
“Yes, my idea is to organise a day with them.”
Rossi has F1 previous
Rossi has previously tested many F1 cars for Ferrari, including full-on two-day tests at Valencia in 2006 and Mugello in 2008, when he completed over 100 laps each time.
“If he [Wolff] wants to call me, he has my number,” Rossi told Sky Italia recently when asked if he’d be willing to test a Mercedes F1 car.
“How could I say no? I was lucky enough to test the Ferrari, I am very good friends with many guys in Maranello but [testing a Mercedes] would perhaps even be half a betrayal – but how could you not try the Mercedes if asked?”
Four-time WRC champion Ogier, meanwhile, has never tested an F1 car but has raced in GTs, Porsche Supercup, VW Sciroccos and French F4.
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