Michael Schumacher unexpectedly rode a MotoGP Ducati Desmosedice in a private test last Monday at Mugello. With all the constant rumours linking MotoGP star rider Valentino Rossi to a Scuderia Ferrari Formula One drive in the not too distant future, Schumacher's outing - on a bike very similar to the one Loris Capirossi used to win consecutive MotoGP races in Japan and Malaysia earlier this year - it was a surprise to see the Schumacher going the other way, although the test was strictly for fun.

Motorbike builder Ducati is based in the Italian City of Bologna, not far from Ferrari's Maranello factory, and the two manufacturers' race teams have quite a lot in common as well, they share the same tyre (Bridgestone) and fuel (Shell) suppliers as well as a title sponsor (Marlboro). Seven times F1 World Champion Schumacher had long expressed a desire to test a MotoGP machine. The test was held on October 24th at Mugello, home of the Italian round of the MotoGP series. At around 11am the German took to the circuit, starting carefully, and lapping the track in around 2 minutes and 40 seconds.
 

He ran around 40 laps, reducing his times to eventually record a best time of about 2 min 15 sec, although this was a long way off the Mugello lap record - held by Valentino Rossi - 1 min 49.223 sec.

A Ferrari spokesman at Mugello emphasised the casual nature of the test, commenting, "It was just for fun," while 36-year-old Schumacher himself was quoted as saying, "I was looking forward to this for a long time, it was worth it, super fun." Meanwhile the the on-going speculation linking Valentino Rossi to a Ferrari drive continues unabated, with the MotoGP star tipped to make the switch to Formula one when his existing Yamaha contract runs out at the end of 2006.