MotoGP News: Eager F1 ace Hamilton had to be restrained during Rossi ride swap
Yamaha MotoGP boss Massimo Meregalli revealed it had to "stop" an eager Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton from going out on track too early during his ride swap last year
Following the conclusion of the 2019 MotoGP and F1 seasons, Monster Energy - a major sponsor of both Hamilton and Yamaha - organised a ride swap between Hamilton and Valentino Rossi in December in Valencia.
Hamilton got to ride a MotoGP bike for the first time, while Rossi drove the 2017 Mercedes which carried Hamilton to that year's F1 title.
In an interview with Autosport, Meregalli recalled how eager Hamilton was to get going - to the point where he had to be stopped from going out on track too early due to the dangerously low circuit temperatures.
"Well, it was a nice day," Meregalli said of the ride swap event.
"They thought it was just a promotional opportunity, but it wasn't like that.
"Vale was put in the position to do some good practice shifts at the wheel of the Mercedes.
"He [Hamilton] showed up to the circuit very early and we had to stop him because he wanted to get on the bike at 9am, but it was cold.
"Then we had to change all the programme, because Vale arrived a little late and they wanted Lewis to get on the track as soon as possible, but we told him that in Valencia in December before 11am was not possible.
"Having lost those two hours, then he tried to run as much as possible."
A keen biker and lifelong MotoGP fan, Hamilton's track day experience prior to that day was limited, with his most recent outing coming at the end of 2018 at Jerez on a Yamaha R1 with World Superbike duo Alex Lowes and Michael van der Mark.
Hamilton suffered a small crash during that particular outing, and reportedly had a small off during his MotoGP run.
But his performance on the bike impressed Yamaha bosses then, with Meregalli admitting that day did nothing to "hurt him".
"He had ridden a motorcycle only eight times before getting on a MotoGP bike, so in my opinion what he did didn't hurt him," Meregalli added.
"Then it is clear that we tried to put [the bike] in the best conditions, with a wet [engine] map and with tyres that were not the ones we normally use, also because we could not use them by regulation.
"It was windy, it was cold, so the conditions were not ideal, but he stopped only when we showed him the chequered flag. "
Previous article
MotoGP news: Joan Mir completes Suzuki 2021 line-up
Next article
MotoGP News: Yamaha's Vinales wins chaotic Virtual GP of Spain
Marc Marquez is back
MotoGP Starting Grid: Portugal Grand Prix
MotoGP Starting Grid: Doha Grand Prix
Marc Márquez's first ride after his injury
Marc Marquez continues his recovery
Why Quartararo’s Catalunya suit penalty highlights a wider issue in MotoGP
OPINION: Fabio Quartararo racing with his leather suit open and subsequent penalty has been the main talking point of the Catalunya MotoGP weekend, which has highlighted a wider issue with MotoGP’s stewarding that risks a negative precedent going forward
How MotoGP’s “beast” tamers bounced back at Catalunya
The expectation on KTM to replicate its winning form from 2020 this season made its difficult start to the new MotoGP campaign even more disappointing. But a key update has seen KTM's fortunes reversed over the last week and returned it to the top step of the podium in Barcelona
The signs that point to Rossi's MotoGP retirement
It's not been a happy start to 2021 for Valentino Rossi at the Petronas SRT satellite squad, with performances that are a shadow of the rider that utterly dominated MotoGP at the start of the new millennium. At the age of 42, how much longer can he go on?
Why the most significant Le Mans MotoGP performance wasn't Miller's
Hot on the heels of his first MotoGP win in five years, Jack Miller made it two from two with a commanding French Grand Prix victory at Le Mans despite two long-lap penalties. Impressive though it was, it was an expectation-defying performance from an anticipated title rival that was the real standout
The impossible problem Honda faces with its 2021 MotoGP bike
Honda hasn’t enjoyed an easy start to the 2021 MotoGP campaign, despite gains last season which looked to have carried over into the pre-season. Now admitting it does have issues in serious need of resolving, it faces an almost impossible task in doing so
How Jerez underlined MotoGP's speed problem
The brutal nature of a series of crashes at Jerez has reopened the debate about whether current MotoGP speeds are beyond the safety limits of the tracks. But even if riders are supportive of the move, getting the manufacturers to find a consensus on how speed reductions should be achieved may be altogether harder
How a Crutchlow helped Miller to Jerez MotoGP redemption
Jack Miller’s tough start to life as a factory Ducati MotoGP rider left him mentally battered and bruised, but a pep talk and positive reinforcement from a surprising source aided the Australian to show his full potential with victory at the Spanish Grand Prix
What does Marc Marquez have to do to get back to his best?
Following his resounding MotoGP return with a seventh place finish in Portugal, Marc Marquez now must work to rediscover his best form before turning his attention towards results-based targets
