Boss ‘worried’ Rossi to make F1 switch

The boss of Valentino Rossi’s MotoGP team is worried the charismatic Italian will be lured to formula one by Ferrari.

Amid rumours the 30-year-old has received an offer for the 2011 season from arch rivals Ducati, Yamaha team manager Davide Brivio said: “The greatest danger is Ferrari.”

Rossi tested a two-year-old F2008 at the Circuit de Catalunya this week, ostensibly as a reward for his latest title on two wheels.

But the Italian posted impressive times, amid rumours Ferrari would gladly give Rossi a formula one drive if only the rules were changed to accommodate third cars.

“I have to be worried about these excellent (lap) times because Valentino really could get the desire to change sport,” Brivio told La Gazzetta dello Sport on Saturday.

Rossi has played down the latest rumours, but the Italian sports daily pointed out that he hinted at an F1 switch in a recent interview with the international motorcycle federation’s magazine.

In the interview, he indicated that Barcelona was chosen for his latest F1 test “to make a clear comparison”.

“I’ll decide my future in a few months: I’ve also had an offer from Ducati. It’ll all be clear in a few months,” he said.

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