Rossi races Ferrari in Italy

MotoGP virtuoso Valentino Rossi has often flirted with the idea of switching from two-wheeled racing to four, and with his recent stint in an endurance race in Italy it seems the passion for car racing still burns.

Along with Andrea Ceccato and Alessio Salucci, Rossi took his Ferrari F430 to third place in the GT3 class in a six-hour race at world superbike venue, Vallelunga.

Watched by more than 10,000 spectators, the MotoGP champ showed good speed, and led the race with less than an hour to go.

The start of the race began in unusual circumstances as fog forced competitors to line up behind the safety car, but as Rossi jumped in the car for the final sixth hour, he was leading the race.

However mechanical issues towards the end of the event saw the Italian settle for third place behind the Corvette of Emanuele Pirro, Carlo Graziani and Elio Marchetti in first place and the F430 of Forgione, Carugati and La Mazza.

"We had a bit of misfortune at the end, so I'd like to come back and try again," said Rossi. "If there is an opportunity to return next year, I'd be happy to, because when you are at the front only 40 minutes from the end it leaves a bit of a bitter taste."

"I was scared a little by the fire, but the safety guys were very quick to react. It's tough, because we came close to victory. There wasn't a battle at the start because of the safety car, but we've all had fun because we ran well and had many fans who came along."