MotoGP star Marco Simoncelli struts his stuff in a Ford WRC race car.

This week MotoGP star Marco Simoncelli took part in a special test with Castrol and the Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team.

The event, held at Carlisle airfield in Cumbria, was arranged by Castrol who sponsor both the WRC Team and Team San Carlo Honda Gresini, who Simoncelli rides for in the MotoGP championship.

Simoncelli ran the Ford Fiesta RS WRC for 50km around the twisting track, taking tips from WRC star Mikko Hirvonen, who’s recently returned to the UK after his victory in Rally Australia.

Currently lying second in the WRC standings, no one who knows the car better than Hirvonen and he worked with Simoncelli to share his knowledge.

The Italian rider is no stranger to Rally driving himself – he took part in the Monza Rally Show in 2010 and finished 16th overall, the highest placed MotoGP rider in the competition.