Six-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton and MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi swapped their respective rides at Valencia this week and here are some shots and video.
Rossi drove the 2017 Mercedes W08, while Hamilton used the ’19 Yamaha MotoGP YZR-M1 that the MotoGP rider had used in the season finale at Valencia in November.
“It’s so awesome to see a legend like Valentino in the car,” said Hamilton. “I’m excited for him, for discovering the car for the first time.
“[It] reminds me of my first time in an F1 car. When you see all the team around you, it’s just a different animal.”
“I was a big fan of Lewis’ before but now I am even more,” said Rossi. “We had a fantastic day, where the two top classes of motorsports not only met but worked together.
“I felt like a real F1 driver for a day. I didn’t want the day to end. “I also rode the YZR-M1 on track with Lewis. It was a proud moment for the team to share our passion with him.
“Technically, Valencia is a hard track and today was windy so, at one point, I thought it would be difficult for Lewis to continue, but he was brilliant on the bike and his position on the M1 was great. I think he had loads of fun, which is the main thing.”
The Last MotoGP rider to have driven an F1 car before Rossi was then-Honda riders Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa, when they steered a Toro Rosso in 2018 at the Red Bull Ring.