Graziano Rossi says Valentino’s switch to F1 was: “Very, very close to happening”

Graziano Rossi says Valentino’s switch to F1 was: “Very, very close to happening”.

Valentino Rossi’s father has spoken out for the first time about his son making a real switch to Formula One.

Speaking during a recorded interview recently, Graziano Rossi (below), himself a former 350cc motorcycle GP rider said that Valentino had come: “Very, very close,” to switching to the premier league of four-wheeled sport a decade ago.

Rossi Senior went on to tell the Italian press that his now 37-year-old son’s multiple tests for Ferrari last decade were ‘extremely’ serious.

“Valentino was very, very close to being a formula one driver,” he said.

“The only thing comparable to MotoGP is F1. Anything else would have been a step backwards for Valentino to switch to. In the end he didn’t go there because his love for MotoGP was too big.”