Valentino Rossi: “I always had motorsport in the back of my mind”

He will be the attraction of the GT World Challenge Europe in 2022. Freshly retired from MotoGP where he won 7 titles in the premier category, Valentino Rossi decided to launch a second career, in motorsport this time.

Passionate about automobiles where he has made a few appearances recently (12 Hours of the Gulf 2021), the Italian will fully live his passion by competing in the GT World Challenge Europe with Team WRT whether in Sprint or in Endurance.

« I always had motorsport in the back of my mind alongside my motorcycle career., admits Il Dottore (The Doctor as he is nicknamed) in a video relayed by the Belgian team. I always told myself that I had to try my hand at car racing once I retired from motorcycle racing in order to judge my level. The time has come. My career in MotoGP is over but I think I can still continue. I do it because I love it, racing is my life, it's what I love the most and I think I still have enough strength and energy to complete a few seasons behind the wheel of a car."

For this first full-time experience behind a wheel and not a handlebar, Valentino Rossi opted for GT3, a discipline in which he feels rather comfortable. “ In recent years I have been looking for the place where I can run and have fun at the same time, continues the Transalpine. I have some experience in GT3 as well. I've been able to do one or two races lately and have enjoyed it a lot. The cars are fast, I like the championship and the fact that there are Sprint and Endurance races. I want to try my hand at a 24 hour race like Spa »

Valentino Rossi will officially launch his new career at Imola (April 1-3) with a 3-hour Endurance Cup race.