Legends Michael Dunlop and Valentino Rossi reunite on the same track

Michael Dunlop and Valentino Rossi shared a race track in a meeting of two motorsport legends.

Isle of Man TT record-breaker Dunlop is in Tavullia this weekend as an entrant to Rossi’s annual 100km of Champions event.

Riders from various championships partake in Rossi’s yearly gala but the inclusion of TT star Dunlop - and Davey Todd - adds an extra layer of gloss.

Dunlop and Rossi were on track on Thursday for free practice but it wasn’t the first time that they have been wheel to wheel, despite their hugely different career paths.

Last summer Dunlop and Rossi were brought together by Monster Energy for a special track day at Silverstone.

John McGuinness completed his personal best lap of Silverstone on the same day, and said: "This little fella from Italy came steaming past me on the back-straight…

"Somebody called Valentino Rossi, I thought 'he is pretty fast, I'll get on the back of him'.

"He dragged me round to do the fastest lap I've ever done at Silverstone.

"I bit the screen, trying to hang on as much as I could!

"I was more interested in watching him. He's the best in the world."

Rossi famously visited the Isle of Man TT in 2009, and did a few practice laps.

He was quoted afterwards: "The lap is great and impressed me a lot because I know that it's dangerous and also fast.

"I don't expect a road like this to be a track and it is unbelievable to be going flat out around it on a Superbike. You need to have two great balls!

"For the first lap it's impossible to push for the first lap. I want to come and make five or six laps to understand it better."

There is far less pressure this weekend in Tavullia, however, as Isle of Man TT stars repay the visit.

Dunlop and Todd will race against Rossi and MotoGP riders including Pecco Bagnaia, Luca Marini and Marco Bezzecchi on Friday and Saturday.