Valentino Rossi: His iconic career will race on in GT3 as he tests Team WRT’s new car
The legendary motorcycle racer’s first season on four wheels concluded on Sunday b🌠ut, 24 hours later in Barcelona, he tested the prototype machinery he will drive next year.
Rossi was behind thᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚe wheel of a BMW M4 GT3 for the first time on Monday, the new 💦choice of car for his team.
He will remain with Team W👍RT for a second season but they will run a different car because their 13-year association with Audi has come to an end.
Rossi, aged 43, drove the Audi R8 this season but Team WR🦋T will now t🎀eam up with BMW.
‘The Doctor’ teamed with 🅺Fred Vervisch and Nico Muller in his debut campaign - the♋y finished in P6 in the last race of the season on Sunday in Barcelona.
Rossi (pictured above in his Audi R8) said after the race: “I am very happy, because today’s was certainly my best stint of the season. I could gain two positions and then stay with the top guys for 30 laps, keeping their same paceꦚ even when the tyres were more consumed. It was a good race, even if we couldn’t get a podium, and it’s a nice way to finish the season.”
Vervisch added: “Vale did a great step forward, with a ve🍒ry strong first s𝄹tint, which was key to get the good result.”
Muller said: “Vale did an amazing job both in qualifying and in the first st𝓰int. He is showing how close he is getting to the top guys.”
James was a sports jour♚nalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
