Valentino Rossi showed up his critics with a strong performance in a testing session for Formula One team Ferrari.
World MotoGP champion, who spun off on his opening lap the previous day, completed 53 laps at the Valencia circuit on Wednesday.
"It was a very good performance, we cannot deny it," said a team spokesman.
Despite Rossi's success on four wheels, Yamaha stated earlier this week their driver was fully committed to defending his MotoGP title.
The Italian has one season left on his Yamaha contract and Ferrari have admitted they are keen to sign him up for the 2007 season.
But a Yamaha spokesperson said: "He's a Yamaha rider this year and all parties are 100% aware he is testing F1 cars."
Rossi, who has won five straight MotoGP titles, has tested with Ferrari on three previous occasions.
During his latest testing session, he had a best lap of 1:12.851 - little more than a second slower than Ferrari's seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher in the new V8-powered 248 car.
Defending world champion Fernando Alonso was fastest with a lap of 1:11.291.
Schumacher, 37, has been the backbone of the Ferrari team for several years but his contract runs out at the end of 2006 and he has still to decide whether to continue or retire.
Ferrari hired Felipe Massa to replace Rubens Barrichello as their second driver for next season but his contract also expires at the end of 2006.
Britain's John Surtees is the only man to have won world championships on two wheels and four, taking the Formula One crown with Ferrari in 1964.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/moto...ne/4671950.stm
http://crash.net/news_View~t~Rossi-m...~id~124803.htm
Never doubted that he would be competitive!
