Rossi breaks race superbike – takes road Ducati 1198 out at Silverstone

Valentino Rossi has been forced to take a fully road-legal, registered Ducati 1198 out at Silverstone after a 2009 racing superbike originally being used broke down after just four laps.

Ducati MotoGP rider Rossi has been using the launch of the new £25 million Silverstone Wing pit and paddock complex as the perfect time to get to know a track he has never raced at before. Rossi missed the 2010 race as he was recovering from breaking his leg at the earlier Mugello round in Italy.

Ducati supplied a 2009 superbike for Rossi but just four laps into the test it broke down and he was returned to the pits in the back of a white van.

A flurry of phonecalls to Ducati UK resulted in an 1198 being ridden from the Silverstone headquarters of the firm into the back of the pits. Rossi was then straight out on the bike which still had a numberplate, mirrors and road-legal Pirelli Diablo SuperCorsa tyres.

MCN has got the full story behind the test from MotoGP reporter Matthew Birt who was at the test.

Video – Spyder Club