Fiat Yamaha Team's Valentino Rossi (Photo: Yamaha Racing) » More Photos

The coincidence in the timing of these statements might suggest that Rossi, who is cooperating in the Italian tax investigation and now lives again in Italy after residing, apparently for tax shelter, in the United Kingdom from 2000 until 2007, may be looking at the more affluent Formula 1 Championship as a future income source after completing his current contract with Yamaha at the end of the 2010 season.

The 29 year old, who has won eight FIM Roadracing World Championships (one in 125cc, one in 250cc, one in 500 and now five in the MotoGP class) has said on occasion that he would like to remain with Yamaha until the end of his racing career, but he may have been referring only to his motorcycle racing career.

Ecclestone, according to La Gazzetta, said that it is “his dream” to see Rossi in F1 and went on to say, “I hope this day comes and that Ferrari provides him with a car; it is the only team I can see him with.”

Ecclestone said, looking into the future of Formula 1, that he hoped Lewis Hamilton would win the title and referred to current champion Kimi Raikkonen as “a strange boy,” and said that “he has not made an effort to be a legend in the sport.”