Rumours swirling around a possible switch to rallying for bike star Valentino Rossi gathered pace this week after comments were made by Fiat competition's boss Matilde Tomagnini.

Talking to Italian weekly magazine Sport Auto Moto, Tomagnini stirred up further speculation by commenting that, "For me it would be a dream if he tried the Punto 199." However, this was not the extent of it, as the Fiat manager added, "Who would not want Valentino? The natural outcome is that, if Rossi asked to go into rallying, he would do it with us for certain. I hope to put him in a Punto 199 as soon as possible. I will try to convince him at least to test it."

Fiat are this year developing a 'Super 2000' rally contender, the category scheduled to replace the current Super 1600 class. Based on the next-generation B-segment Punto, codenamed 'Project 199', which is due to debut at the Frankfurt IAA in September, track development is being carried out by Paolo Andreucci, who is mixing this in with an Italian Rally Championship programme with a Super 1600 Podium. Tomagnini sees the mooted new 'Super 2000' category as the way forward for top-line rallying, especially in light of the announced exodus of manufacturers from the sport at the end of this season. “Next year’s Super 2000 cars might already be more competitive than Group N cars for a start," she commented. "From 2007 there will be more freedom around the gearbox and the direction of everything is that we are moving towards solutions that are cost less. The budget for the World Rally Championship should not cost more than twenty million euros per year so we will need to get rid of a few of the electronics and the driver aids," Tomagnini concluded.

This is in fact not the first time that Rossi has been linked with the world of rallying. Following appearances at the end-of-season Michelin Race of Champions and Bettega Memorial Rallysprints in 2000 and 2001, the motorcycle ace made his 'stage debut' on the final round of the 2002 World Rally Championship, the Network Q Rally of Great Britain. Paired with experienced co-driver Carlo Cassina, Rossi's mount was a Peugeot 206 WRC prepared by Italian outfit HF Grifone. This outing was to end in disappointment, however, when he slid off the road into a ditch on only the second stage. Subsequent outings have proven more successful, however, and at the 2004 Monza Rally, Valentino recorded an impressive third place overall in a Toyota Corolla WRC.
 

The multiple world champion has repeatedly been linked with both F1 and rallying, rumours which have strengthened in recent months. Rossi has often stated his love of rallying, but took the opportunity last year to test a Ferrari F1 car at Fiorano - a demonstration impressive enough for Ferrari bosses to invite him back for another run.

Rossi's rise through the ranks can simply be described as mesmerising. Born in 1979, the son of 250cc GP winner Graziano Rossi, Rossi's ability was evident from a young age. Entering the 125cc class in 1996, he immediately made an impression with his effervescent and uplifting character and obvious talent, collecting a race win at Brno in the Czech Republic.  1997 saw him clean up in the class, taking no less than eleven wins from 15 races to set a points record of 321 and scoop his first World Championship. Such a performance ensured that he would move up to the 250 class in 1998, and here he demonstrated the same precocious qualities, taking five wins and second place in the championship, while the following year there were no doubts about the champion, as nine wins and three further podiums in 16 races confirmed.

All of these feats had been achieved on Aprilias, but for his move into the premier category Rossi opted to move to a works-supported Honda, engineered by Jeremy Burgess and backed by Nastro Azzurro. Two late-season wins ensured a second-place ranking in the championship standings behind Kenny Roberts Jnr, and in 2001 he maintained his remarkable record of 'one year to learn, one year to win' when he took the 500cc title at only the second attempt with a crushing 11 wins. If anything, the move to four-stroke bikes in 2002 strengthened Rossi's hand, as this coincided with Rossi and Burgess making a move to the official Repsol Honda team and Rossi having access to the all-new RC211V four-stroke machine, and a further eleven wins being added to his tally was the result. 2003 saw him achieve another milestone when he finished on the podium in every race that year, but late that year came the stunning announcement that the absurdly-talented Italian had signed for struggling manufacturer Yamaha. Despite playing it down as a development year, Rossi soon established himself as the benchmark yet again, taking a win first time out in South Africa and adding a further eight during the course of the year as he romped towards his fourth premier class title. With five wins and a second from six races so far this year, it would be a brave man who bet against him making it five in a row...

Valentino's extrovert personality was in evidence almost as soon as he arrived on the world stage, and his cheeky stunts at the end of races to celebrate victories have endeared him to a wide fanbase around the world.  Unforgettable moments include him riding around with a giant 'Numero Uno' on his back, dressing up as a chain-gang prisoner, not to mention his recent celebration at the 2004 Catalan GP when he took to checking his Yamaha's 'pulse' with a stethoscope, while wearing a white coat, living up to his famous nickname of 'The Doctor'!

by Shant Fabricatorian