Valentino Rossi's run to second place at the Monza Rally Show in Italy last weekend has received huge praise after it emerged it came on the back of a short pre-event test. The MotoGP legend, who has contested three rounds of the World Rally Championship in the past, is a regular at the end-of-season event located at the Italian Grand Prix venue near Milan.
Driving a Ford Fiesta RS WRC, which he sampled over 30 kilometres before the start, Rossi was faster than eight-time world rally champion Sebastien Loeb on the two runs of the 32.5-kilometre Grand Prix stage and eventually finished 24s behind the Citroen ace.
“He was outstanding and I can’t praise him enough,” said John Steele, commercial director of M-Sport, the company responsible for Ford’s Fiesta World Rally Car. “He’d not driven a rally car for two years and the last time was in a Focus, a completely different car, and in the wet. Okay, it’s an event he loves and he knows what’s required but he was sensational.”
Steele also praised the performances of Rossi’s MotoGP support crew Roberto Brivio and Alessio Salucci. Brivio finished seventh while Salucci went third fastest - quicker than Rossi - on the second stage of the event before dropping back to 31st following an accident.
“Uccio had a bit of an off and dropped back, while Robby was beating [factory MINI WRC driver Dani] Sordo at one point,” said Steele. “They’ve all got a huge amount of talent.”
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