At the end of the two days of the test sessions with Valentino Rossi on the Montmelò circuit, he had more than 600 kilometres on the clock. After yesterday’s wet opening, just like the day before, which complicated the start, the test dedicated to the MotoGP World Champion from Tavullia in Italy, driving a Ferrari F2008, provided by Maranello’s F1 Clienti department, was concluded with great results to the utmost satisfaction of the team.

Rossi  was extremely happy with his lap time of 1.21.900, clocked on the penultimate lap, almost over the time limit the team was allowed to use the Catalan track: “We kept the last three quarters of an hour to try a ‘time attack’ with little petrol and fresh tyres. I would have given anything for such a lap time,” Rossi said, adding that he had much more fun compared to his last experience in Mugello in November 2008. “It’s more fun here, because it’s a little bit easier. It’s more effort in Mugello, but this track here is really wonderful, with motorbikes and cars, although I have to say that turn 10 is a little tight (the one with the spins) and you’re braking much later.”

Luca Baldisserri commented on the “Doctor’s” adventure positively: “We tried different set ups and he improved a lot: this means that the driver learns quickly and has room for improvement.” Before Valentino left the track he wanted to thank the whole team: “I want to thank Ferrari, but especially Domenicali and Montezemolo, for giving me this present," he commented

The news of the nine-times World Champion's test behind the wheel of a F2008 quickly arrived on the other side of the Atlantic in the mainstream media. Last night, the online edition of The New York Times, published an article on its homepage about Rossi’s day, along with his declarations, as stated on Ferrari's website. 'This is a real exception for a newspaper and a country quite reluctant to give space to motorsport from the Old Continent, says Ferrari on its website, added that: "the coupling of Rossi-Red prevails above skepticism “Made in USA”. And who knows what they might write one day soon after Rossi’s great lap times at the end of the test session," the Maranello carmaker adds.

ItaliaspeedTV: Valentino Rossi (Ferrari F2008), Barcelona Test, 21/22 January: 1 / 2