Valentino Rossi recalls ‘wonderful’ Michael Schumacher memory after ‘a**hole’ fear

Valentino Rossi testing for Ferrari.
MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi has recalled his 2006 encounter with Michael Schumacher when testing for Ferrari at the Valencia circuit.
Contemplating a switch from two wheels to four, Rossi had a series of test outings with Ferrari and held discussions with the Italian outfit over a potential move.
Valentino Rossi tested with Michael Schumacher in 2006
The second of his two tests took place at Valencia where the potential-Ferrari driver found himself in the garage with Ferrari legend Schumacher.
However, Rossi wasn’t sure how that meeting would go given it was known that he had bet on Jacques Villeneuve to win the 1997 Drivers’ Championship title. By betting on the Williams driver, he bet against Schumacher.
Recalling that Valencia meeting, the Italian told Corriere della Sera: “I have beautiful memories of Schumi.
“It was known that years before I had bet on Jacques Villeneuve, therefore against him.
“So, when we found ourselves in the garage I was a bit paranoid. I thought now he would look at me and think, ‘here he is, the a**hole’.
“Instead, very kind, he gave me a lot of advice. A great guy.”
More on Ferrari legend Michael Schumacher
👉 Michael Schumacher’s 10 iconic Formula 1 grand prix victories
👉 Michael Schumacher accident: Separating facts from fiction 11 years on
It was after that test that Rossi decided that Formula 1 wasn’t for him.
Despite being “quite fast”, reportedly only 0.7s down on Schumacher’s lap time, he still had a “lot of question marks” and therefore made the call on the flight home “to continue to race in MotoGP”.
The Ferraris weren’t the only Formula 1 cars that Rossi has driven as he also swapped machinery with Lewis Hamilton in 2019, the Briton testing the Yamaha MotoGP YZR-M1 bike with Rossi behind the wheel of the Mercedes W08.
“Nice,” he said of that meeting with Hamilton. “Dinner and confidences.
“The next day, I arrived late. I was changing, he walked into the motorhome and it was Hamilton dressed as Hamilton. He pointed to the clock: the usual Italians, cappuccino, brioche… He scolded me. Smiled. Not entirely, however.”
The 45-year-old is eager to see how Hamilton’s move to Ferrari plays out this season.
“Of course, it’s a beautiful thing,” he said. “Seeing him there, in the red race-suit, excites me too. I really want to understand how he copes. And how Leclerc is doing.”
Read next: Is Hamilton ‘better’ than Sainz for Ferrari? Jean Todt weighs in