On 22 December 2022, BMW M Motorsport division officially announced the multiple MotoGP champion and current sportscar racing star Valentino Rossi will join the team as a works driver for 2023 and he will contest the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup series and the Bathurst 12 Hour endurance race in Australia.
Over a year ago the MotoGP legend retired from the two-wheel sport where he clinched a total of 7 world titles between 2000 and 2021. From the 2022 season onwards he switched over to four wheels and started to compete in the GT World Challenge for the Belgian team W Racing Team in an Audi R8 LMS EVO II which has his iconic race number #46.
For the 2023 season, Team WRT (W Racing Team) confirmed the switch to BMW for the GT3 program in 2023 and will be using BMW M4 GT3 cars in the endurance series. He is confirmed to contest the Bathurst 12 Hour in Intercontinental GT Challenge in February. He will team up with the two drivers of Maxime Martin and Augusto Farfus in the #46 entry.
“I am very proud to become an official BMW M works driver and it is a great opportunity. Last year, I started racing seriously in cars and I finished my first season with the WRT team with whom I got on very well and I am very happy that the WRT team chose BMW M Motorsport as a new partner.” Rossi said.
“I have already had a chance to test the BMW M4 GT3 twice and the feeling with the car is very good. I think we could be competitive next season. Also, BMW M Motorsport has given me the opportunity to race with two very strong drivers next year, Maxime Martin and Augusto Farfus. I still have a lot to learn and improve, but I hope to be up to the task and fast enough to fight during the race weekends.”
“Valentino Rossi needs no introduction. As one of the most successful motorcycle riders of all time, he has made history. His successes on the racetrack and his personality have quite rightly made him a living legend, but Valentino has proved that he is also an excellent racer on four wheels. He has shown that car racing has become his second motorsport home, and he brings all his passion, skills and commitment to this new chapter of his career. It’s fantastic that Valentino will be joining our BMW M Motorsport family as a new works driver next year. We’re really looking forward to working together – welcome aboard Vale!” Andreas Roos, BMW M Motorsport director, added.
