Rossi

[dumrick]

Well, Rossi is better that Chanoch Nissany, for sure! If that makes him a F1 driver... I guess he should have to go through at least some F3... I mean, is not used to feel aero balance vs. mechanical balance, understand diff settings, etc.

[Spencifer_Murphy]

John Surtees did it tho

[Scuderia_Russ]

Riding a bike will give you grip/road reading abilities that have surprised even him I bet.

[j4kwan]

I'm sure with the V8s now, it will be much easier for Rossi. The G forces will be much easier for him to handle considering its closer to GP Moto. I believe (Is it not true) that bikers only take on 1G +/- when entering corners because of their bike leaning methods?

[Spencifer_Murphy]

That and the fact that bikes cant grip as well as cars

[RH1300S]

I'm sure with the V8s now, it will be much easier for Rossi. The G forces will be much easier for him to handle considering its closer to GP Moto. I believe (Is it not true) that bikers only take on 1G +/- when entering corners because of their bike leaning methods?

The only "G" that will be less will be acceleration, otherwise they will turn and stop pretty much the same as last year. I don't think Rossi would have much trouble with acceleration - he is used to 145kg/250bhp throwing him up the road And he's not even strapped in.......

Corner G on a bike is much less than an F1 car (and lots of other race cars too).........I believe it approaches 2G with current slick tyres, same goes for stopping the whole plot too.....big differences, but really I don't think a guy with Rossi's talent and fitness would have too much trouble adjusting to the forces.

[jezzwa]

I don't think a guy with Rossi's talent and fitness would have too much trouble adjusting to the forces.

well i reckon he must have an issue with fitness cause during his test he really did not do many laps a day (the days he was not in the gravel )

[manchild]

He'll only have to cut that hair because at 4G it will weight as another helmet

[RH1300S]

I don't think a guy with Rossi's talent and fitness would have too much trouble adjusting to the forces.

well i reckon he must have an issue with fitness cause during his test he really did not do many laps a day (the days he was not in the gravel )

Neck strength would have been an issue; that will come with specific training and mileage.........have no doubt though - to ride a MotoGP bike you have to be very fit indeed

[Reca]

All Ferraris look the same to me but still I'm not sure that Rossi was the only one driving old the old one. The nose on third pic looks like F2005 and Schumacher is in some older car too. Both car from first 2 pics are the same but that is not one and the same car but 2 cars (check the airbox camera). Why would Ferrari bring so much old cars to testing anyway?

All these pics show an F2004 but they have different engines.

MS drove the F2004 with V8 engine, Rossi was driving an F2004 with a V10, detuned according to official reports (unofficially on the other hand...); he always drove only the F2004, it wouldn’t be worth to have him to “learn” the F2005.

Main reason MS and Massa still use F2004 is that Ferrari never modified a F2005 to install the V8, the first track test of the V8 was in mid August and they probably started to work on preparation of the interim car for it a couple of months earlier at least, it was just logical to use an old and well known F2004 back then, after all the F2005 race debut was in April and probably they didn’t have a 2005 chassis and spare parts to “sacrifice” for the V8.
Then, as Spencifer_Murphy said there’s the tyre thing.
Obviously F2004 is designed for the 2004 aero rules but according to MS they expect the aero performance of the 248F1 to match the F2004 so data should be useful anyway.

[RH1300S]

Autosport this week.........

"Valentino Rossi set times in his first full Formula 1 test that were only 0.6 seconds slower than Michael Schumacher recorded in comparable machinery"

The essence of this claim is based as follows:

According to Ferrari sources the power loss of the restricted V10 engine cost time of approx. 1.5 secs per lap at Valencia.

Rossi's best lap of 1:12.3 secs would be reduced to 1:10.8 secs in an un-restricted 2004 spec car. MS set a best lap at Valencia of 1:10.2 sec, almost exactly 1 year ago, driving an F2004. It was also confirmed that fuel levels and tyre compunds were virtually identical to those used by Rossi, making the comparison very valid.

[DaveKillens]

I'll believe all the hype when instead of "comparable", we see "identical". Until then, to me it's all creative accounting.

[RH1300S]

I'll believe all the hype when instead of "comparable", we see "identical". Until then, to me it's all creative accounting.

Could easily be......... Ferrari may have plenty to gain by making the man Rossi look very good.

On the other hand, I think it shows pretty well that he has plenty of raw pace.

If you like, it's the best comparison that can be made within the scope of this discussion so far (as you say...nothing more either..)

[DaveKillens]

I have no doubt Rossi has great potential as a GP driver. I've watched a lot of his expoits on two wheels, and he's incredible.
But Shu can do much more than just clock quick laps, he can consistently do it lap after lap, his focus and concentration is remarkable.
I just keep wondering just why at this time Ferrari are devoting so much to Rossi, this is a critical time of the season, and there has to be some goal they intend for the man. Maybe it's to attract sponsorship, or maybe it's just to distract the general attention away from Ferrari's pre-season testing. but this saga is far from over, I expect something big to come out of it, one day.

[manchild]

Well, Schuey wasn't able to do that during his early days in F1... He had huge experience from Gr. C and lower single seaters (not to mention karting) so, it would take some time for Rossi to convince us if he is just one-hit wonder or a driver with constancy necessary for title.