Valentino Rossi remains stuck at home in his good town of Tavullia because of a health crisis which identified him as a contact case. Covid-19 definitely remains a permanent threat and the Doctor has reason to be upset at finding himself deprived of an Endurance version of a car racing event which was to definitively seal his new career. But if he will not be at the 12 Hours of the Gulf, his Ferrari, his half-brother and his lifelong accomplice Uccio will be there and will be keen to do him honor. But then who replaced him behind the wheel?
To his great regret, Valentino Rossi stays in Tavullia and does not participate in 12 Hours of the Gulf. But on the circuit of Yas Marina there is his Ferrari GT3 with plate 46 livery. Vale is forced into self-isolation after coming into contact with a Coronavirus positive person. A nasty setback for the Tavullia champion who was so keen on this meeting to warm up for the next professional engagement in motor racing. There is a rough agreement with the brand Audi, but nothing official yet.
On the circuit of Yas Marina, however, the Ferrari 488 GT3 from the Swiss team Kessel Racing participates in this competition which is in its tenth edition. Luca marini, Alessio salucci and former GP3 driver David Fumanelli, who succeeded Valentino Rossi at the last moment, the steering wheel will be exchanged. After free practice on Thursday, qualifying will take place on Friday and on Saturday the 12 Hours of the Gulf itself will begin, with two sessions of six hours each.
See this post on Instagram
The spirit of Valentino Rossi hovers over Abu Dhabi
Fans of motorsport and VR46 will be able to follow the race live on the channel YouTube official of the event. Alessio 'Uccio' Salucci posted a post on Instagram at the end of the first day of action on the Abu Dhabi track: “ today was a great day of testing, waiting for tomorrow's qualifying ". Obviously, without Valentino Rossi, this participation in the endurance race has a different flavor.
On the way back, there will be plenty to do for the men of VR46. Luca marini will have to intensify his athletic training with a view to participating in the first test of the MotoGP class of 2022, which will be held at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia, where he will test the new Ducati GP22 with the latest updates made by the manufacturer of Borgo Panigale. Alessio salucci will be engaged in the role of team manager of the team Mooney VR46, who will make his debut in the championship with Marco Bezzecchi and Marini himself. It will be a good test for the Tavullia team as they face their first season in the world championship elite.
