What we know about Hamilton and Rossi’s F1-MotoGP ride swap

The Formula 1 and MotoGP seasons may both have come to a close – but that is not stopping the biggest star from each series hitting the track.

Lewis Hamilton and Valentino Rossi will complete their hotly-anticipated ride swap next week, and while we are still waiting for any official announcement, there are a few details we can be sure of.

Hamilton and Rossi share a mutual sponsor in Monster, which has helped make the crossover a reality.

Hamilton has struggled to stay tight-lipped on the ride swap, such is his excitement for it, with the pair set to sample each other’s machinery next week in Valencia.

The test will take place on December 9, coming a little over a year after Hamilton completed some testing on a Yamaha R1M Superbike at Jerez.

There are no restrictions on what bike Hamilton can use, but it is likely he will complete some running on a Superbike again to warm up before moving across to a MotoGP-spec bike.

Hamilton will, however, be limited on what tyres he is allowed to use due to MotoGP regulations, which are likely to be Superbike-style Michelins, meaning it will be more difficult to compare his efforts to the regulars.

But that isn't dampening the six-time F1 world champion's excitement for the swap.

"I’m going to be out with Valentino next week, which I’m a little bit nervous about,” Hamilton said following his victory in Abu Dhabi last Sunday. “That bike is going to be so fast! That’s going to be awesome.”

For Rossi, this will mark his first outing in an F1 car for almost a decade.

Despite his repeated tests with Ferrari through the 2000s – reportedly putting him close to a switch to Maranello to race in F1 – Rossi has not driven an F1 car since 2010, when he completed running for Ferrari in a 2008-spec car in Barcelona.

As Mercedes has used all of its permitted promotional running permitted for this year, Rossi cannot drive the 2019-spec Mercedes W10.

The most recent car outside of the restrictions is the Mercedes W08 from 2017, which won 12 races en route to both championship wins that year.

The test will take place behind closed doors on Monday at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo, which hosted the MotoGP season finale last month.