Valentino Rossi has added to his growing rallying credentials by taking victory in the Monza Rally – then declared that winning feels the same on two or four wheels.

Rossi, who recently drove a privately entered 2005-spec Subaru Impreza to 11th overall in Rally New Zealand, took his first Monza Rally victory in a Ford Focus WRC – and also won the ‘Master Show’ competition, which uses a head-to-head knockout format, for the second year in succession.

Although far from a ‘full’ rally – the Monza event uses parts of the famous Italian racetrack and its access roads to create seven asphalt stages – it attracts top drivers and machines.

Last year, Rossi finished second overall behind former Le Mans winner Rinaldo Capello, but ahead of former World Rally Champion Colin McRae. This year, Rossi won five of the seven stages to beat Monza specialist Capello by a solid 24 seconds and claim his first official rally victory, and outpaced former World Rally Champion Didier Auriol by seven seconds in the head-to-head Master Show final. (Crash)