A couple of weeks after dismissing suggestions that he will test for Ferrari next year, MotoGP superstar Valentino Rossi has admitted he is tempted by the prospect of a switch to Formula 1.

In an interview with The Guardian, Rossi said exchanging two wheels for four to race for Ferrari would be “the ultimate challenge” and appeals to his “crazy” character.

At Monza, Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn claimed that the team had reached an understanding with Rossi that would see the Italian dovetail his MotoGP commitments with an extensive testing programme with Ferrari in 2006.

At the time Rossi poured scorn on the idea that he had made any such commitment.

“Bullshit,” was his crisp response. “How do Ferrari know what I’m doing next year when I don’t know what I’m doing next week?”

However, Rossi has made it clear he is seeking a new challenge after winning everything there is to win in MotoGP, including five successive world titles.

“I do crazy things – like moving from Honda to Yamaha,” Rossi told The Guardian.

“Before that everyone thinks you must ride Honda to become world champion. Yamaha had not won the championship for a very long time.

“[Now] I have won on Honda and Yamaha so maybe it is interesting to win with a third team, Ducati, who are Italian.

“But I could also start F1 or rallying. I love rallying much more.”

Rossi did concede that racing for Ferrari in Formula 1 has a certain allure for him.

“For sure it is the ultimate challenge for me – a crazy challenge,” he said. “Maybe. But I have to decide what is best.”

Rossi emphasised that he would only be prepared to compete in F1 if he had a realistic chance of winning.

“I don’t know what to do. But Ferrari is possible. If I test the car for a year I can be quite competitive the next season.

“I race to win. If I am on the bike or in a car it will always be the same.”

Rossi expressed his satisfaction at confounding doubters within Ferrari with his speed on his first test back in April 2004 – after some initial teething problems while he adapted to an unfamiliar machine.

“When I got ready to drive a Formula 1 car for the first time in my life I hear the Ferrari engineers having bets about me.

“They say if you lap their track at Fiorano in 60 seconds it means you drive the Ferrari quite fast. If you are slower you are not an F1 racer.

“Most of the engineers bet money I never go under a minute. I keep on smiling but, inside, I want to show them.”

Having accomplished that particular mission by lapping in 59.1 seconds, Rossi got down to 57.5s at his most recent test two months ago, and impressed Ferrari with both his pace and his technical feedback.

While he is clearly contemplating a switch to F1, Rossi is apprehensive about the level of media attention he would receive from the Italian press and public driving for the national team.

“It is hard for people in London [where he lives] to understand. I walk around here and I am not recognised much. It’s beautiful.

“The rest of the world is difficult. People chase me. But Italy is the hardest. I go home to see my family but I cannot stay more than three days. There is too much pressure.

“I don’t like being famous – it is like a prison. And driving for Ferrari would make it far worse.

“It is a big problem and so I don’t know for sure if I say yes or no to Ferrari.”