F1: Lewis Hamilton may swap Mercedes F1 car for Valentino Rossi’s MotoGP bike

Hamilton and Rossi to swap?

MotoGP star Valentino Rossi has confirmed that talks are taking place to arrange a machine swap with Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton.

Crash.net reports that the plan would see Italian Rossi, 40, drive a Mercedes F1 car and British ace Hamilton ride a Yamaha M1.

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A possible location for the swap could be in Abu Dhabi once the F1 and MotoGP seasons are over.

Rossi, a seven-time MotoGP world champion, said: “Yes, we are trying to arrange this swap with Hamilton, it would be something fantastic.

“They are trying to organise a day when Lewis tries my M1 and I try his Mercedes. We hope to make it happen, it would be very cool. To drive an F1 car is always great.”

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Brawn: Lewis is rewriting F1 history

Results at the Japanese Grand Prix on 13 October meant that Mercedes have made history by winning a sixth successive F1 championship double.

The Silver Arrows sealed another constructors’ championship and with four races remaining only Lewis Hamilton or team-mate Valtteri Bottas can win the drivers’ title.

Ahead of this weekend’s Mexican GP Hamilton is 64 points ahead of Bottas and is hot favourite to claim his sixth career F1 world championship.

Ross Brawn, F1’s managing director of motorsports, believes that British driver Hamilton is “rewriting” the sport’s history by leading Mercedes to more success this season. Mercedes have won 12 of the 17 races so far in 2019 and achieved eight one-twos in the process.

Quoted by Planet F1, Brawn said: “Much of this success is down to Lewis Hamilton, an amazing driver who is rewriting the history of this sport in a manner all his own.

“It’s always difficult to establish how much is down to the car and how much to the driver, but in the end, for me, it’s the team that counts the most.

“Formula 1 is a team sport and even if the driver is the star of the show he cannot win without a team behind him. Mercedes has reached a higher level than its rivals and so far has been almost untouchable.”

When is the Mexican GP?

The grand prix at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City will take place on Sunday 27 October. The 18th race of the 2019 F1 season starts at 7.10pm (UK time) and is live on Sky Sports.

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