This didn’t happen even in Mick Schumacher’s time: an active racing driver has to be shielded by security staff on the starting grid in order to somehow make his way through the crowds to his own racing car. Welcome to the crazy world of Valentino Rossi. The ‘motorcycle god’ remains an absolute phenomenon after switching from two to four wheels. One that still thrills motorsport fans to the max today. Rossi is the gigantic figurehead of the WEC, in which he is making his debut this year as a BMW works driver.
“There are few drivers, if any, who trigger something like this among the fans,” says BMW M Managing Director Franciscus van Meel to Motorsport-Magazin.com. “He is an icon of motorsport, especially on two wheels, but also in the bigger picture. There are not that many of them in the world.”
Huge Rossi hype in the WEC
Wherever Rossi is, there’s a lot going on. At the WEC race in Imola – his home race – a driver presentation in the city center was all about the BMW works driver, the other drivers were reduced to extras. At the track, the bright yellow VR46 caps in the fan shop were sold out in no time. At the following race in Spa-Francorchamps, there was also a permanent state of emergency in front of the garage of the BMW Team WRT, for which Rossi competes in the World Endurance Championship. Nowhere else, not at Ferrari, Porsche or Toyota, did special barriers have to be put up to ensure that people could even get through.
And now comes the 24 Hours of Le Mans (June 15-16, 2024), the most famous car race in the world. With Rossi, who took his first steps in the Road to Le Mans support racing series last year and, despite his victory, drove under the public radar. Now he is in the spotlight and fighting for class victory in the new LMGT3 category in the #46 BMW M4 GT3 from WRT. Rossi, who is classified as a silver driver, shares the BMW with works driver Maxime Martin and bronze driver Ahmad Al-Harthy.
“The big moment has arrived,” says Rossi. “It will be my first time competing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the most famous race in the world. I am very happy and proud to be able to take part in this great race together with BMW and the WRT team. I have known the circuit since I started in the Road to Le Mans races last year and I really like the Circuit de la Sarthe. We are ready for a long week.”
Valentino Rossi to debut at 24 Hours of Le Mans
With Valentino Rossi in the main program, the 24 Hours of Le Mans received an additional incentive, if it even needed it given the nine manufacturers in the Hypercar class.
It’s no wonder that he’s a rare sight on WEC race weekends. He rarely gives exclusive interviews, preferring to be part of larger media rounds with other drivers. And while other WEC drivers diligently sign one autograph after another in the open paddock, Rossi prefers to take secret routes from session to session and from appointment to appointment. Understandable, otherwise he would probably be late everywhere given the rush of fans. A golf cart has become Rossi’s faithful companion for the journey through the paddock, in which his crew takes him to his destination quickly and accurately.
BMW M boss van Meel: “First and foremost, Valentino Rossi is a racing driver for us and not a PR gimmick. And he does that very well. PR is also an issue, but his charisma and the fact that he stands by the brand as a person is enough. You don’t have to let him open showrooms or anything like that. He wouldn’t do that anyway. But it’s just a lot of fun working with him.”
What is in store for Rossi and Co. in Le Mans?
Rossi, Martin and Al-Harthy can certainly expect something from the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The team, known from the DTM and the Nürburgring, was Manthey with his two Porsche 911 GT3 R has been the strongest so far and leads the World Championship table, but the BMW faction had no need to hide: In Imola, WRT-BMW celebrated a double victory, with the Rossi-M4 taking second place behind the #31 sister car (Leung, Gelael, Farfus).
Rossi is also considered a meticulous worker in four-wheel racing, who prepares for the race weekends in great detail – and who, despite his legendary status, does not consider himself more important than his BMW team-mates. He knows full well that he can still learn a lot from GT3 veterans such as Martin or Augusto Farfus. “There is a lot of hard work involved,” said BMW Motorsport Director Andreas Roos to Motorsport-Magazin.com“You have to take your hat off to Valentino for how much work and ambition he puts in to really ride at a top level.”
Most recently in Spa-Francorchamps, the #46 BMW was eliminated from the race early, meaning that Rossi – much to the dismay of many fans – did not even get behind the wheel. In the overall standings, the #46 trio is in fourth place with 36 points behind leader Manthey (Alexander Malykhin, Joel Sturm and Klaus Bachler), who have so far collected 72 points.
You can read a detailed exclusive interview with BMW M CEO Franciscus van Meel about the collaboration with superstar Valentino Rossi in the upcoming Motorsport Magazine print edition. Be quick, the issues are selling out quickly! The best thing to do is subscribe here: