Valentino Rossi, an Italian driver for the WRT team, drove a BMW M4 LMGT3 in the FIA World Endurance Championship in Doha, Qatar, on February 29, 2024. Despite finishing in fourth place in his debut, Rossi was disappointed not to reach the podium in the LMGT3 category.
The WRT team’s BMW M4 LMGT3, car number 46, came very close to securing a podium spot during the season opener in the 1812 km race in Qatar. Of the two LMGT3 cars entered by the team, car number 46 had the highest finishing position.
Rossi, a nine-time MotoGP world champion and BMW driver, expressed his satisfaction with fourth place, but also showed his disappointment at not reaching the podium. He praised his team for their flawless performance and pit stops, but acknowledged that a bit more speed was needed to secure a podium spot.
Although it was the first time the WEC raced at the Losail International Circuit, Rossi was familiar with the Qatar venue due to his successful motorcycle career, where he won four MotoGP races. However, racing in a GT3 car for nearly 10 hours was a new experience for him.
2024 marks Rossi’s second year as a BMW driver, and now he adds the WEC to his other racing responsibilities with the WRT team.
The race began with Ahmad Al Harthy behind the wheel of car number 46, who impressively completed a four-hour stint before handing over to Rossi for a two-hour period. Maxime Martin then took over, and Rossi and Martin repeated their efforts until the end of the race.
During Rossi’s two-hour stint, the car started in eighth place and he handed it over to Martin in fourth. Despite a strong chase in the final hours of the race, car number 46 was 12 seconds away from a podium finish. The team’s efforts were commendable, as they made very few mistakes throughout the race.
Car number 46, driven by Harthy, Rossi, and Martin, finished two positions ahead of the sister BMW car, car number 31. Vincent Vosse, Team WRT’s Team Principal, expressed his mixed feelings about the race, acknowledging the team’s good performance but also recognizing the need for improvement in the upcoming races.
