Rossi Is A Brave Man Says Webber

[narain fan 0]

WilliamsF1 driver Mark Webber has hailed Valentino Rossi’s efforts at attempting to drive a Formula One car at speed with the majority of the F1 fraternity at the Valencia circuit next week, the Australian driver, who will be in attendance with the newly launched FW28 stating it is a very brave move for someone of his enormous talent to throw his hat into the ring with so little experience in an F1 contender.

Rossi may have done a few tests for the Ferrari team in the past few seasons but it has always been behind closed doors, this time when he climbs into the scarlet charger, there will be a lot of eyes taking note of every move he makes…

"He's quite brave, really, to come in and share the circuit with the rest of us," Webber said. "The guy has obviously got unbelievable talent, we know that, and he definitely knows which way is up. But to throw him out there on the track with the rest of us, who knows, he's always done surprises so who knows how he will go? The guys who have been racing for a while are normally not that keen to have guys who don't have that much experience (around). But it's not like this guy we had in Budapest last year, the Israeli guy, that was a joke, like playing Pete Sampras at Wimbledon in the first round."

Mark was referring to Chanoch Nissany a 42-year-old Israeli who only lasted a handful of laps in Friday practice. Rossi will surely do more than this, and it is thought that the five time MotoGP champion will be behind the wheel of the championship winning F2004 with a V10 engine and aerodynamics that will surely see some competitive lap times, despite his rookie status.

[Redline 0]

I'd agree that Vale is being very brave to put himself to the test like this, though it is only a test session.

But that's the magic of Valentino Rossi! He is what he is because he combines talent and intelligence with an almost childish disregard for the things that worry most people a lot. You only have to listen to him talking to be infected with it......just a carefree attitude to everything. There's a brilliant mind beneath it, but you'd never guess if you hadn't seen him race a bike.

However, I do worry that, if he joins F1, I'll be losing the thrill of watching him on two wheels. That is as much of a joy as watching a Fangio, or a Senna, or a Schumi on four wheels. I'd hate to see it thrown away. I think he should stick to bikes and "do a Schumi" in MotoGP........win several championships and break all the records. Injury aside, he could easily achieve it!

[nojvnof1 0]

I totally agree. Having said that, I would be interested to see Vale in F1, just to see if he has it or not. We all know he's an all time great on a bike, that is proven already (although I think this year will be a very tough season as the competition will be very strong), yet we don't know how good he really is in an F1 car. Sure I'd miss watching him in MotoGP, most definitely, but it would be great to see him do well in F1.

[Redline 0]

I think this year will be a very tough season as the competition will be very strong

I've not followed the off-season in MotoGP.

Maybe this is for another thread, but who is going to oppose Rossi in 2006?

Gibernau is mentally too fragile (at least while Rossi is around) to ever win it.

Milandri? ......err.....no!

Nope.....I don't see it.

Unless, of course, Honda come up with a mega bike........

[cavallino 2]

I think its quite brave, and it also has the potential of killing the whole idea in one go if he can't keep up.

[narain fan 0]

MARK WEBBER Q&A

As Williams unveiled the car that it hopes will bring it back to the front of the grid in 2006, Mark Webber talked to the world's press at the launch of FW28 about his own chances of success.

Read on below to find out what the Australian had to say...

Patrick Head has said that you had and the team gave each other a mutual bollocking last year. Has it helped clear the air?

Mark Webber: "It is good that we were honest with each other. There were things that we could improve on both sides and I think we saw the performance change a bit from both sides in the end.

I still feel there were a few races, like Silverstone, where the performance was not there from the car and I absolutely totally drove my balls off and it was the same as Suzuka but if you lose one second a lap then you can't see it.

The incidents were not there with Jaguar and last year there were a few incidents and I am not about that. I want to be a consistent operator and performing at the front as often as possible and sometimes you have to cut your losses.

Every dog has his day and you have to take the battle to another place.

How difficult was the divorce from BMW?

Not that difficult I don't think because it was pretty inevitable. I think technically it started to kick-in in terms of the shut-out mid-season, what we were doing with the chassis and they with engines despite the regulations changes and so on.

Resources slowed up a little bit like traction control electronics and that sort of stuff so that was as far as it went. The soldiers on the floor were fantastic guys, absolutely brilliant. I got on with Mario Theissen, but in the end they wanted something new.

Do you see the 2006 season as a crucial year for your career?

Every year has pressure in Formula 1, we know that. I would love to go out and win a race soon otherwise I could end being called Tim Henman.

The first year I went to Jaguar, people said Antonio Pizzonia was going to kick my arse. I did that and proved myself at Jaguar and then Williams liked me, I went there. It didn't work out last year, there is no question about it.

Sometimes you learn a lot in adversity. If you are going out and kicking arse in business everyday you are probably not learning as much as you do if you are on the ropes.

I learnt a lot last year and I want to have my best season in F1 this year, no question about it, to have had three seasons being there or thereabout is not good enough.

Would you rather have had a proven team-mate to measure yourself against?

I was very disappointed when Jenson Button didn't come here I wanted him to come to Williams as did Williams but in the end he didn't want to come so he is staying at Honda.

Nico Rosberg is a brilliant signing, he has just come out of GP2 and had a fantastic year, he has tested well for us, did not make any mistakes so he is solid. He is going to be good and you have got to give the guy some wings to come in and have a crack at it.

There will be weekends where he will give me a hard time.

You want to have your best ever year, but how confident are you in the new car?

Very. In terms of the work that has gone into the FW28 at Valencia, the trust and the work and the whole thing that has gone into the last six, seven, eight months were all for the 2006 season. We hope the fruits of that effort will roll into the start of the campaign.

You just have to look at the grid and who we are up against. It is going to be really, really tough and but we are not sitting back and saying we don't think we can compete.

We want to be in there. Honda will be strong. Ferrari. And Renault. McLaren might he having a bit of trouble with their engine but you've got Red Bull, and BMW and then hopefully us.

I don't want any lucky results. I don't want to be handed anything. You want to be earning your results because you deserve them and that is where we are.

Patrick Head talked about scoring wins plural in 2006. Is that possible?

We are not interested in lucky results so to go out and drive off the front row and win races will be impressive, very impressive, considering who we are up against but there is no real reason why we cannot be strong.

Cosworth have done a fantastic job with the engine, Bridgestone are working hard with Ferrari, Toyota and us to bridge the gap that was there last year, although there are totally different tyre regulations.

It is down to us to do a better job than the other teams. It is quite possible that we can have a very, very competitive package. But we will only know when we get to Bahrain, with proper track temperatures.

Juan Pablo Montoya says he thinks Bridgestone is ahead of Michelin in the tyre race…

It is amazing. All the Michelin guys are saying that… Fernando and JPM. I think they are putting pressure on the Michelin guys and we still see it the other way. I think it is a bit of propaganda.

How hard will it be for Valentino Rossi to test against you guys at Valencia?

He is quite brave really to come in and share the circuit with the rest of us. So far he has been in a controlled event in Fiorano. The guy has got unbelievable talent and he definitely knows which way is up.

He has always surprised people so who knows how he will go. The main race drivers and the guys who have been racing for a while are normally not that keen to have guys who don't have that much experience but the way we were always warned before we go out and we know if they are out there they have the flashing light and things, if someone is going to be new.

But It is not like when we had this guy in Budapest last year, the Israeli, (Chanoch Nissany) because that was a joke. For him that was like playing Pete Sampras at Wimbledon in the first round.

Do you think Michael Schumacher will retire this year?

The guy is a legend. We know that. He is a phenomenal driven individual but I think if he has a rough season this season it will be his last year.

itv-f1.com

[Senna 0]

Mark was referring to Chanoch Nissany a 42-year-old Israeli...

who else could it have been?

[cavallino 2]

a joke indeed, another part of Stoddy's legacy, perhaps the most incompetent driver to drive on a grand prix weekend.

[Senna 0]

a joke indeed, another part of Stoddy's legacy, perhaps the most incompetent driver to drive on a grand prix weekend.

He made my team of rejects.

[nojvnof1 0]

Maybe this is for another thread, but who is going to oppose Rossi in 2006?

That gives me an idea. I'll make a thread in 'Outside the F1 Circus' and pin it for all members on here who follow MotoGP. I'll answer your question in that thread.

[Redline 0]

Race ya nojvnof1 !!!!!!!!!!!

Naaaaah! Beeeeeeeeeeat yaaaaaaaaa !!!!!!!!!

[narain fan 0]

Race ya nojvnof1 !!!!!!!!!!!

Naaaaah! Beeeeeeeeeeat yaaaaaaaaa !!!!!!!!!

first thread he starts in a llooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnngggggggg time ....(nojvnof1),

and gets beaten by redline

[nojvnof1 0]

First, I don't start threads as most news worthy items are already started by the time I log on, time difference and the like.

Second, Yeah you just beat me Redline, only just mate Instead of having two topics I just merged out threads into mine although the system has you as the topic starter due to you posting the earlier thread. Anyways, both are in the same thread as I sent you a PM just to explain why yours looked to have disappeared and I pinned the thread so others can find it easily.

[Redline 0]

As I said by PM, it was your idea.

Just having a bit of fun!

[nojvnof1 0]

Yeah I know mate.

[Redline 0]

--- Biaggi's had a dig at Rossi........ Referring to Rossi's off in the wet, MotoGP also-ran Biaggi scoffed arrogantly ''I could have explained to him how to keep a formula one car going straight.''

Michael-Schumacher, however, might suggest that switching from two wheels to four is not nearly as challenging as vice versa.

The German tried a Ducati MotoGP bike last December at Mugello, around 20 seconds off the pace.

--- Jarno Trulli has pardoned the MotoGP for spinning on his first outlap on Tuesday.

''A damp track is tricky even for us.'' Condescending

[Redline 0]

Oh look....a thread like the other one.....only started much earlier.

[nojvnof1 0]

I'm not surprised Biaggi had a dig at Rossi. Rossi destroyed him in bikes and he'd do the same thing in F1 should they race against each other. Biaggi has always talked more than he walked, if you get my drift.

[Redline 0]

MOTO GP champion Valentino Rossi will have more Formula One tests with Ferrari.

Rossi said.......

"It has been a very interesting test, considering how it was the first time I lapped in a Formula One car along with other drivers."

"I have to say I felt at ease and had no particular problems. Maybe I need a little more experience of driving on a wet track.

"I did not come here to show anything to anybody but simply to broaden my understanding of a Formula One car and I thank Ferrari for continuing to give me this opportunity"

"In the next few months there will be more tests but now I go back to motorcycling, which is foremost in my thoughts. I, like Ferrari, have a task to face. We both have championships to compete in and, possibly, to win."

"Tuesday's start was not positive. I did half a lap on the wet track and then spun. But things went better in the dry."

"I learnt so many things and above all I am happy with the atmosphere in Ferrari. There are a lot of very, very able people, the atmosphere is just right, it is calm and this allows you to develop so much, to learn how to drive the car and how to take it to the limit."

A Ferrari spokesman confirmed that Rossi would take part in further tests with the team but said no schedule had been drawn up yet.

Rossi lapped ninth fastest of 15 drivers in Valencia on Wednesday and the following day completed 53 laps and was just a second slower than Brazilian Felipe Massa.

[nojvnof1 0]

A Ferrari spokesman confirmed that Rossi would take part in further tests with the team but said no schedule had been drawn up yet.

This can only prove how serious Ferrari and Valentino are about this.

[Redline 0]

Some have expressed doubts about Rossi's physical fitness.

They obviously haven't listened to descriptions of the fitness required to wrestle a MotoGP bike around a track over a race distance.

Any outstanding issues, such a neck strength, are easily addressed.

[nojvnof1 0]

His neck strength would be the only question mark with regards to his fitness, but over time he should get better and better. Especially with more testing.

[Redline 0]

Biaggi is the one who would have neck problems.

He never seems to know when to wind it in.

[nojvnof1 0]

Yeah you're right there.