After hanging up his MotoGP riding leathers at the end of the 2021 season, Valentino Rossi put on an FIA approved suit to get behind the wheel of a powerful German GT3 from the WRT team, first Audi in 2022 then BMW this year.
Here, he got on the podium at the 24 Hours of Dubai in the company of Sean Gelael, Max Hesse, Maxime Martin and Tim Whale, finishing less than 5 minutes from the victory won by the Belgian team's other BMW M4.
A great performance for “The Doctor” who approached this second round of the championship, after Kuwait, with a certain modesty: “ For me, it was the first time in Dubai at the 24 Hours. It's a very nice race and in particular it's a very nice track that I like. The goal here is to do miles with the car to be ready for the season, but you know that when you race you want to try as hard as you can. I think we have a very strong team, so we can be competitive for the race, but it's always difficult to have how competitive: for the victory or for the podium, we don't know yet, we'll see that from of tomorrow. The WRT team is always very competitive: they have won here in the past so they have enough experience for this type of racing.
In motorcycling, you are always alone when you race and here you are part of a team, and you share the car with four other riders in this case. It's really interesting because there are many of them that are fast and with whom I can learn and progress, since they are at the highest level of GT cars. When you do a 24 Hour race together, you have a special relationship, and honestly I really appreciate that because they are all funny guys.
»
This 3rd place, while 21 GT3s (and 52 cars in total) were present, allows the Italian icon to appear in 6th place in the GT3 championship of the 24H Series, with its sights not on the next event of this championship in Abu Dhabi, but the Bathurst 12 Hours at Mount Panorama, Australia, the first round of the 2023 Intercontinental GT Challenge which will take place from February 3 to 5. On April 22 and 23, Valentino Rossi will then be in Monza for the first GT World Challenge Europe racing weekend.
« To get my first podium in a car and to do it in the first race with BMW is wonderful, it's a great way to start this adventure » said Rossi after the race, “II enjoyed the whole race. It wasn't easy, but our goal was to get on the podium and we did it. This [Australia] will be a big challenge, it's an important high-level race and the track is special. I hope to be competitive there too. »
But behind this season, approached with seriousness and a certain success, the further step towards the dream of #46 is already looming; participate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans at the wheel of a Hypercar. With the Italian now one of the official BMW drivers, the performance of the Bavarian M Hybrid V8, which will make its competitive debut at Daytona at the end of January, will be closely watched at Tavullia...
In an interview reported by the specialized site Sportscar365, Andreas Roos, boss of the motorsport branch of BMW, also confirms a possible or probable test of the hybrid beast during the year: “ In the future, there are definitely plans to give him the chance to experience a beautiful car like the GTP. The GT3 is already beautiful but the GTP is certainly on a different level. If it happens this year, it would definitely be later in the year because right now we all have enough work to do and enough things to file and be better prepared.
Valentino's first goal is to be part of our driver team in the GT3 program. Since he's never driven a car like (the LMDh), of course we have to have him in the car first and see how he fits with the car and how he feels in the car. There will be tests and we will see from there what next steps we can take and if there is a possibility. Last year he had his first full season in a GT3 car and we need to build from there. He now continues with us, also in the GT3 category. Then we'll see when we get the first opportunity for him to test and see how we can develop from there.
»
From the M1 to the LMDh, via the camel, Valentino Rossi is definitely capable of anything!
