MotoGP legend Rossi says racing with Norris would be “fantastic”
MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi says the prospect of sharing a car with McLaren Formula 1 driver Lando Norris in a car race in the future is “fantastic”.
On Thursday ahead of the F1 Brazilian Grand Prix, Norris says he recently sent Rossi a “heartfelt” message ahead of the nine-time grand prix motorcycle world champion’s retirement this weekend in Valencia.
Norris revealed that he keeps in regular contact with Rossi – who is the McLaren’s driver’s personal hero – and says both have discussed the possibility of sharing a car in a race at some point in the future following Rossi’s retirement from MotoGP.
When asked by Motorsport.com what he thought about the idea of sharing a car with Norris in the future, Rossi says it would be a “great pleasure” for him.
“I’m always in contact with Lando because he’s my fan from the beginning,” Rossi told Motorsport.com. “He did one special helmet like mine in Monza. I follow him a lot because I think he is a great, great talent, and also he’s very young, he’s a funny guy.
“Next year with more time I want to try to see one race, one Formula 1 race. About racing together next year, for me it’s fantastic because Lando is very fast.
“I will race with the cars, and if we can make a race with Lando for me it will be a great, great pleasure because he’s very fast and we can enjoy for sure.”
#46 VR46 Kessel Ferrari 488 GT3: Valentino Rossi, Luca Marini, Alessio Salucci
Photo by: Gulf 12 Hours
Rossi will embark on a post-MotoGP career in GT racing, but is yet to decide on his plans for 2022 and beyond.
As well as several World Rally Championship outings and tests in a Formula 1 car for Ferrari and Mercedes, Rossi has also contested the Gulf 12 Hours GT endurance race on several occasions in a Kessel Racing-run Ferrari.
On Thursday in Brazil seven-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton – whose 2017 Mercedes Rossi drove in 2019 in Valencia as part of a ride swap, in which Hamilton rode Rossi’s Yamaha – said it was “sad” that the Italian was retiring from MotoGP now.
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