Endurance racing is booming. A total of nine different manufacturers will be battling for overall victory in the Hypercar class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans this weekend, June 15/16, 2024. But it’s not just the top category that’s exciting fans. In the new LMGT3, a world star, Valentino Rossi, will be making his debut at the prestigious 24-hour race.
The euphoria that the nine-time motorcycle world champion brought with him to the WEC World Endurance Championship is gigantic. Most recently, at the 6-hour race in Spa-Francorchamps, the crowds of fans thronged in front of the BMW Team WRT garage – not to mention Rossi’s home race in Imola. And in Le Mans, too, the enthusiasm surrounding Rossi shows no signs of abating.
BMW works driver Martin on Rossi euphoria: It’s crazy
But how does the hype affect Rossi’s team? One person who should know is Maxime Martin. The 38-year-old Belgian shares the #46 WRT-BMW with Rossi and bronze driver Ahmad Al-Harthy. “There are always a lot of people and fans at every race track. Imola is special because it’s in Italy, but it was the same in Spa. And here in Le Mans it’s crazy,” Martin reported in Le Mans in an interview with Motorsport-Magazin.com. “In the end it’s very special, but he also achieved something very special.”
It wasn’t just the general experience of being Rossi’s teammate in Italy that was special. The #46 WRT-BMW also achieved a sporting success in the 6-hour race with P2 – and secured a double victory directly behind the sister car with starting number #31 (Leung/Gelael/Farfus). Martin and Rossi: This is not a new driver combination. The two already competed together in various GT3 racing series last season, including the GT World Challenge.
Martin raves about Rossi: Become friends
Given these numerous race weekends together, an increasingly mature relationship developed between Martin and Rossi on a personal level. “We’ve been together for a year and a half now. We have a good relationship. I would say we’re becoming friends because we also talk on the phone and discuss things away from the track. It’s pretty fun,” said Martin, describing the relationship.
Rossi’s work ethic: Understand why he is a nine-time world champion
“He’s a really humble person, very nice,” Martin continued. But it wasn’t just Rossi’s character traits that made Martin full of praise for the Le Mans debutant. Rossi’s work ethic also impressed the BMW works driver: “You understand why he has won nine world championships because he is very competitive. He really wants to learn and really improve. He works hard and that makes the difference.”
According to Martin, Rossi never lacked basic speed. “He has a lot of talent on a motorcycle, but also in racing cars,” said Martin. “Where he has improved the most in my opinion is in terms of the processes, the racing intelligence and not making mistakes, being consistent and delivering, almost like at a professional level.”
BMW benefits from Rossi’s FIA classification
However, Rossi is not yet classified as a professional, at least not by the FIA. The International Automobile Federation only classifies Rossi as a silver driver. A stroke of luck for BMW, as this made the combination with professional driver Maxime Martin possible in the first place. “Valentino is certainly one of the best silver drivers you can have,” said Martin, pleased with this fact.
The strong driver pairing together with bronze driver Al-Harthy, for whom Martin also had nothing but praise, has paid off so far. After the first three WEC races in 2024, the #46 WRT-BMW is in fourth place in the championship – just one point behind the #31 sister BMW. An even better championship position was only prevented by a Unintentional retirement at the last race weekend in Spa.
WRT-BMW misses Hyperpole in Le Mans: Still a candidate for victory?
Meanwhile, Martin doesn’t want to be influenced by the euphoria surrounding Rossi: “Surely people associate me more with him because we do everything together. So more and more people come to me asking for attention. That’s something that’s a bit more engaging. But the way I approach the races and how I work with the team and how we do everything doesn’t change. But after our victories in Misano, people know my name now!”
However, the weekend in Le Mans has not gone as hoped so far. Both GT3 BMWs in the field missed the Hyperpole in qualifying on Wednesday evening. The trio Martin/Rossi/Al-Harthy only had twelfth place on the grid. However, in a 24-hour race, starting position is, as we know, secondary.
BMW Motorsport Director Andreas Roos has already set the course for the race: “We have already achieved a double victory with the car in Imola and have already won a number of races this year. We therefore have high hopes that the car will also play a part in winning the LMGT3.”
In the Hypercar category, however, the BMW representatives were far less optimistic. What Roos and drivers Rene Rast, Marco Wittmann and Robin Frijns had to say beforehand can be read in this article: