Valentino Rossi in BMW eyes 2024 Le Mans

Nine-time MotoGP World Champion, beloved Doctor Valentino Rossi took another step towards his dream of writing another golden page in his illustrious motorsport career by competing – and why not winning – the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

BMW has officially announced that the Italian is now an official works driver. In the 2023 season, like last year, he will compete with the WRT team in the GT World Challenge Europe championship in the BMW M4 GT3 and at the same time take part in the official tests of the German company.

Specifically, the Munich company announced that Rossi “is available for further racing and test runs with BMW M Motorsport vehicles“. This could well lead to the 43-year-old testing the new hypercar BMW M Hybrid V8 LMDh, with which the Bavarian company will compete in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) in 2024 – which includes the 24 Hours Le Mann.

The German prototype, along with counterparts from many other leading manufacturers – Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche, Cadillac, Alpine and others – will enter the new class of hybrid hypercars called LMDh of the WEC in 2024. After all, he is of course contesting a season with Team RLL in the corresponding US IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

Before that, Rossi will compete in GT World Challenge Europe in 2023 with the WRT team, which changed their cars this year, replacing the Audi R8 LMS GT3 (one of which Valentino drove last year) with the new BMW M4s GT3. At the same time, he will compete in the 24 Hours of Dubai and the 12 Hours of Bathurst in Australia as part of the Intercontinental GT Challenge.

“I’m very proud to also become a BMW M works driver and it’s a great opportunitysaid Rossi.Last year I started racing seriously, we got on really well with the WRT team and I’m very happy that the team chose BMW M Motorsport as their new partner.

I’ve already tested the BMW M4 GT3 twice, the feeling of the car is very good and I think we can be competitive next year. I still have a lot to learn and keep improving, but I hope to be at the level I need to fight at over the three days of competition‘ added the Italian.

According to BMW Motorsport Director Andreas Rous, Rossi is “a living legend of motorcycling but has also proven to be an excellent competitor on four wheels. He has shown that motorsport has become his second home in racing and he brings all his passion, skill and dedication to this new chapter of his career. We look forward to working together, welcome Vale!“.