Valentino Rossi 
may be famous for his MotoGP career, but he’s also into racing vehicles that ride on four wheels. Not only did he test a Ferrari Formula One car in 2006, but he also raced in a number of official WRC events after learning the basics of driving a rally car from WRC legend Colin McRae. Even though he has yet to quit MotoGP to start a career in car racing, as he had announced some years ago, Rossi continues to showcase his driving skills in just about any car he can get his hands on. At the 2015 Goodwood Festival of Speed, the Italian driver was given the chance to drive the 1991 Mazda 787B.
And not just any 787B (as if that would’ve been an issue), but the very same car that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1991, giving Mazda its only outright win at Circuit de la Sarthe. As Mel Brooks once said: “It’s good to be the King!”
Rossi drove the 787B up the famous Goodwood hill and needed around 55 seconds from start to finish. That may be far off the festival’s all-time record, but it doesn’t really matter. What matters here is that two legends have been paired together for the delight of those who attended this year’s event. Equally important is that Rossi didn’t have any issues keeping the 787B on the tarmac, which can’t be said about the driver who crashed a 1989 Mazda 767B at the same event.
1991 Mazda 787B
Find out more about the iconic Mazda 787B here.