The experience led by Valentino Rossi at the Gulf 12 Hours, on the Yas Marina circuit in the United Arab Emirates, had two characteristics that were not necessarily easy to reconcile: on the one hand it was approached very professionally, with a very well prepared Ferrari 488 GT3 by the Kessel Racing team then training in October in Misano, but she was also placed under the sign of family, with her brother Luca Marini and her best friend Alessio Salucci (known as Uccio) as co-pilots.
However, at the end of the event, after a few slight contacts, a penalty and a lot of suspense, the Doctor can only be very satisfied with his performance and that of his teammates, since the splendid midnight blue and yellow #46 Ferrari has crossed the finish line at the third position in the general classification, and first in its PRO AM category.
We knew Valentino Rossi extremely fast behind the wheel of a car, but Luca marini has also made enormous progress in this area, while I kill is far from being a handle either…
Valentino Rossi : “It’s a great experience, which I really appreciated. The race is fantastic, the track is superb and I felt very good with the car from the start. It's a new experience for us and a great feeling to race with Salucci and my brother [Luca Marini]. Above all, finishing on the podium in the general classification is the first time, and so I want to do it another time. It was a long day but a lot of fun. It's difficult to maintain concentration, especially during the day since in the evening it's cooler and you enjoy it more. It's long but beautiful. The tires had better grip in the evening and I was definitely stronger. It was Luca's debut, and I knew what he could do in rallying. Already at the Monza Rally, I noticed that he was fast, but we discovered a talent as a driver. I knew he had good potential, but it went even better than I expected. »
Luca marini : “It was a fantastic race, a wonderful experience, crowned by the victory in PRO AM and above all by the podium in the general classification, the most beautiful thing we could do. I had a lot of fun. I still need to improve a little, but I am very satisfied with my performance. The car was amazing to drive, the guys on the team were great, I wish I had to do it again tomorrow. We hope we do it again next year. »
Alessio salucci : " I have no words. I am very happy. The podium in the general classification is almost tastier than victory in PRO AM. This race was a dream for me. »
