Interview: Rossi nearing F1 decision

The Italian, who is racing this weekend in the Turkish MotoGP round in Istanbul, was once again probed by the media about his decision whether or not to switch to Formula One with the Ferrari team - a decision he says he will make in June.

But Rossi dismissed suggestions that Ferrari have in fact made that decision for him, by filling in their two racing seats with Schumacher and Raikkonen.

Q: Did you see Schumacher's victory at Imola last weekend?

Rossi: "Yes, and I greatly enjoyed it. I am by now a true Ferrari fan."

Q: The question is, are Ferrari still Rossi fans? Isn't it possible that, with Raikkonen coming over and Schumacher staying, Valentino will be left out?

Rossi: "No, no, it's not like that. The door is open, and I'm very happy about it. I mean, the fact that Ferrari have given me time to make a decision myself is a nice thing and a big vote of confidence."

Q: How much longer before you decide?

Rossi: "A bit more; I'll have to give an answer by June. I am thinking about it, and it's not an easy choice. In fact, I'm an indecisive person by nature - I want to keep deliberating about it over and over, rather than act by instinct. I just have to assess the pluses and minuses of the whole thing."

Q: And it's hard to do in this case?

Rossi: "Yes, especially because I tend to think about it before I go to bed, so I then have trouble falling asleep!"

Q: Who would you prefer as your teammate at Ferrari? Schumacher or Raikkonen?

Rossi: "Well, Schumacher has always been very nice with me. So I find him pleasant. But, then, I don't know Raikkonen, so maybe he's very pleasant too."

Rossi also commented on the Istanbul track, which last year hosted the inaugural Formula One race in Turkey.

"This is a very strange circuit," the Italian said. "There are too many blind turns, and there are downhill slopes that with these bikes you could even take in neutral gear.

"After the fast bend, which is perhaps the very best one of the season, there are two other turns that seem to have been put there just to annoy you. And on top of that, there are potholes."

Q: Potholes? But this circuit was inaugurated only last year

Rossi: "Yes, but Formula One ran here before us. That's how the asphalt got ruined."

Q: We are back talking about F1?

Rossi: "It won't be long before this big thing ends, trust me."