After a disappointing opening
MotoGP round in Qatar,
Valentino Rossi took on a very different motorsport challenge this past weekend at Monza.
Rossi and best friend Alessio 'Uccio' Salucci raced a VR46-livered Ferrari 458 Italia in the opening round of the Blancpain Endurance Series at the legendary Italian racetrack.
The pair had qualified tenth overall out of the 55 drivers with a best lap time 2.8sec from pole, putting them fifth in the Pro-Am class and within 0.8sec of the top Pro-Am car.
They then ran further inside the top ten during the first hour of a soaking wet race. However Salucci tangled with a back-marker on the 90-minute mark, leaving them 29th by the conclusion of the second hour.
The final hour saw Rossi rise to 18th overall (ninth in the Pro-Am class) by the chequered flag. The seven-time
MotoGP champion was one lap and 1m 57.8sec from overall victory. Rossi was two-minutes from a place on the Pro-Am class podium.
The Doctor will be back in
MotoGP action for Ducati in the Spanish Grand Prix at
Jerez from April 27-29.