Image via Twitter: Lewis HamiltonVerified account
@LewisHamilton
Hamilton versus Rossi: Speedsters swap rides and race [video]
Swapping his Mercedes F1 car for Valentino Rossi’s Yamaha YZR-M1, Lewis Hamilton has revealed he did have “one little” moment but that it wasn’t too bad.
Image via Twitter: Lewis HamiltonVerified account
@LewisHamilton
After days of speculation about what really happened, Lewis Hamilton has confirmed he had “one little” off when he tested Valentino Rossi’s Yamaha YZR-M1 at the Valencia circuit on Monday.
Hamilton and Rossi swap machines
Swapping rides with @valeyellow46 was epic guys! Best day ever ??? Thanks @MonsterEnergy #LH44VR46 @YamahaMotoGP @MercedesAMGF1 pic.twitter.com/19hvOnFzdX
— Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) December 11, 2019
Racing legends Hamilton and Rossi, two of the most successful on four and two wheels, took part in a ride swap at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo on Monday.
Both promised ‘watch this space’ but days later nothing official had been revealed.
This led to some speculation about what went on out on track with the Italian media reporting that Hamilton had crashed Rossi’s Yamaha MotoGP bike.
But while some fans wondered if this was just a case of the Italian media having a go at the British racer, Hamilton has now confirmed that he did have “one” moment when he was riding the YZR-M1.
“The bike is so hard to ride,” Hamilton told Sky Sports News.
“I did have one little spin with it but I brought it back in one piece. I’m step-by-step learning but it’s a very, very steep learning curve.”
He added: “Honestly, this has been the best year and this [swap] just tops it off. I wasn’t expecting to get to December and have this kind of high.
“Now I’m looking forward to seeing family and spending Christmas with everyone.”
Hamilton reportedly clocked a lap time that was within four seconds off Rossi’s best as the Italian also took to the track on his MotoGP bike.
Watch: Formula 1 meets MotoGP
Rossi finished 1.5s slower in W08
Following their outing in the bikes, the duo swapped to Mercedes’ 2017 Formula 1 car, the W08.
Rossi, who had previously tested a Ferrari F1 car, was 1.5s down on Hamilton’s fastest lap time but did spin the car on three occasions.
The nine-time MotoGP champion told Autosport he felt like a “real” F1 driver on the day.
“I was a big fan of Lewis’ before but now I am even more,” he said. “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.”
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