VELNTINO Rossi is the newest member of BMW M Motorsport works team. Rossi and BMW M Motorsport have agreed on a works commitment that goes beyond the race appearances with BMW M Team WRT. He drops his No. 46 number plate and takes on as the team’s 21st member.
“I am very proud to become an official BMW M works driver and it is a great opportunity,” Rossi said.
Rossi is a nine-time world MotoGP Champion. He ended his successful motorcycle racing career in early 2021 and moved to car racing in autumn last year. He is set to contest the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS and Bathurst 12 Hour in the BMW M4 GT3 next year, but will also be available for further race and test appearances in BMW M Motorsport racing cars.
“Valentino Rossi needs no introduction. As one of the most successful motorcycle riders of all time, he has made history. His successes on the racetrack and his personality have quite rightly made him a living legend,” Andreas Roos, Head of BMW M Motorsport said as he also highlighted how the 43-year old campaigner from Italy proved that he is also an excellent racer on four wheels saying that car racing has become his second motorsport home.
Rossi also took part in testing in various racing cars early on — including a Formula 1 Ferrari and Mercedes. There were also starts at the Monza rally (ITA) in 2009 as well as two races in the World Rally Championship, one in 2006 in New Zealand and one in 2009 in Wales. In 2019, Rossi competed in an endurance race in Abu Dhabi (UAE). After retiring from active motorcycle racing after the season finale in 2021, Rossi embarked on a new chapter of car racing. He contested the GT World Challenge Europe with Team WRT in the 2022 season.
“He brings all his passion, skills and commitment to this new chapter of his career. It’s fantastic that Valentino will be joining our BMW M Motorsport family as a new works driver next year. We’re really looking forward to working together — welcome aboard Vale!” Roos declared.
“Last year I started racing seriously in cars and I finished my first season with the WRT team with whom I got on very well and I am very happy that the WRT team chose BMW M Motorsport as a new partner. I have already had a chance to test the BMW M4 GT3 twice and the feeling with the car is very good. I think we could be competitive next season. Also, BMW M Motorsport has given me the opportunity to race with two very strong drivers next year, Maxime Martin and Augusto Farfus. I still have a lot to learn and improve, but I hope to be up to the task and fast enough to fight during the race weekends.”
Rossi celebrated his first world championship title in the 125cc class in 1997. Repeated this in the higher 250cc class two years later and was promoted to the 500cc class, the highest Grand Prix category at the time in 2000, where he was crowned world champion in 2001. By 2005 he had added a further four world championship titles to his name with titles number eight and nine following in 2008 and 2009. ‘The Doctor’ has also long been committed to youth development with his VR46 Rider Academy — a ‘school‘ that helps young Italian riders with the goal to bring them to MotoGP.
