Valentino Rossi will compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans support races, the Road to Le Mans, in the run-up to the centenary edition of the French endurance classic, next month.
The motorcycling MotoGP legend, who won nine MotoGP world titles, will race a WRT-run BMW M4 GT3 in the 55 minute Road to Le Mans races, which sees 58 cars entered, split across 38 LMP3s and 20 GT3s.
The two races will take place on Thursday 8th June and Friday 9th June, with qualifying scheduled for Thursday morning.
Since retiring from MotoGP, Rossi has embarked on an endurance racing career, racing for WRT in the GT World Challenge Europe series in 2022 and this year. He raced an Audi R8 LMS Evo last year, and with WRT’s switch to BMW machinery this year, has continued to race with WRT in a BMW M4 GT3.
Rossi has raced alongside Maxime Martin this year in GTWC Europe, but so far it is not clear who he will partner in the Road to Le Mans races. Both races are the second of five rounds on the 2023 Michelin Le Mans Cup calendar, although Rossi is not entering the full season of that championship.
“This year, Road to Le Mans will host a record grid,” said Pierre Fillon, president of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, the Le Mans organising body.
“These two races will offer spectators great battles on the track. I am also very happy to welcome a champion like Valentino Rossi, who will make his debut on the legendary circuit of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. I wish him the same success he has had on two wheels!”
