Valentino Rossi wins his first Rally.
Discussion
Short rally, but win it he did.
Rossi wins Monza Rally.
Valentino Rossi has added to his growing rallying credentials by taking victory in the Monza Rally - then declared that winning feels the same on two or four wheels. Rossi, who recently drove a privately entered 2005-spec Subaru Impreza to 11th overall in Rally New Zealand, took his first Monza Rally victory in a Ford Focus WRC - and also won the 'Master Show' competition, which uses a head-to-head knockout format, for the second year in succession.
Although far from a 'full' rally - the Monza event uses parts of the famous Italian racetrack and its access roads to create seven asphalt stages - it attracts top drivers and machines. Last year, Rossi finished second overall behind former Le Mans winner Rinaldo Capello, but ahead of former World Rally Champion Colin McRae. This year, Rossi won five of the seven stages to beat Monza specialist Capello by a solid 24 seconds and claim his first official rally victory, and outpaced former World Rally Champion Didier Auriol by seven seconds in the head-to-head Master Show final.
"I didn't celebrate a [MotoGP] victory after Malaysia and I can say that winning in rally gives the same emotions as winning in MotoGP," declared Rossi. "The car was perfect and, above all, I didn't make any mistakes, that is what counts most in rallying.
"After driving a rally car on asphalt at Monza and on gravel in New Zealand, now I would like to try driving in the snow," he revealed. But before any such ice outing, Rossi is turning his attention back to two wheels and the 2007 MotoGP World Championship, with the Italian heading straight from Monza to the final 2006 test session, at Jerez from November 28-30, as he plots to regain his crown.
"Now I'm going to Jerez to continue developing the new Yamaha and the new tyres for next season. My rivals are now very competitive and younger than me... they will be doing all they can to 'send me to my pension' next season," warned the five times MotoGP world champion. Rossi also announced at Monza that he plans to enter the 2007 Rally of Great Britain (see separate story) and confirmed that rallying is one of the possibilities for his post-MotoGP future - but also repeated his interest in the German Touring Car Championship (DTM). Rossi tested a DTM Mercedes shortly before Rally New Zealand.
The boys got talent.
Crash.net said:
Rossi wins Monza Rally.
Valentino Rossi has added to his growing rallying credentials by taking victory in the Monza Rally - then declared that winning feels the same on two or four wheels. Rossi, who recently drove a privately entered 2005-spec Subaru Impreza to 11th overall in Rally New Zealand, took his first Monza Rally victory in a Ford Focus WRC - and also won the 'Master Show' competition, which uses a head-to-head knockout format, for the second year in succession.
Although far from a 'full' rally - the Monza event uses parts of the famous Italian racetrack and its access roads to create seven asphalt stages - it attracts top drivers and machines. Last year, Rossi finished second overall behind former Le Mans winner Rinaldo Capello, but ahead of former World Rally Champion Colin McRae. This year, Rossi won five of the seven stages to beat Monza specialist Capello by a solid 24 seconds and claim his first official rally victory, and outpaced former World Rally Champion Didier Auriol by seven seconds in the head-to-head Master Show final.
"I didn't celebrate a [MotoGP] victory after Malaysia and I can say that winning in rally gives the same emotions as winning in MotoGP," declared Rossi. "The car was perfect and, above all, I didn't make any mistakes, that is what counts most in rallying.
"After driving a rally car on asphalt at Monza and on gravel in New Zealand, now I would like to try driving in the snow," he revealed. But before any such ice outing, Rossi is turning his attention back to two wheels and the 2007 MotoGP World Championship, with the Italian heading straight from Monza to the final 2006 test session, at Jerez from November 28-30, as he plots to regain his crown.
"Now I'm going to Jerez to continue developing the new Yamaha and the new tyres for next season. My rivals are now very competitive and younger than me... they will be doing all they can to 'send me to my pension' next season," warned the five times MotoGP world champion. Rossi also announced at Monza that he plans to enter the 2007 Rally of Great Britain (see separate story) and confirmed that rallying is one of the possibilities for his post-MotoGP future - but also repeated his interest in the German Touring Car Championship (DTM). Rossi tested a DTM Mercedes shortly before Rally New Zealand.
The boys got talent.
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