AutoAction
FREE DIGITAL MAGAZINE SIGN UP

Rossi headlines significant BMW test

By Thomas Miles

Date posted: 9 December 2022

MOTORCYCLE RACING legend Valentino Rossi has fronted the test marking the debut of a collaboration between BMW M Motorsport and BMW M Team WRT in Spain.

Seven time MotoGP champion Rossi jumped behind the wheel of the BMW M4 GT3 at Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona with his famous #46.

The full-day test kicked off the partnership between BMW M Motorsport and BMW M Team WRT and gave drivers a first taste of the new BMW M4 GT3, which will go racing in the upcoming season.

Rossi was assisted by Austrian BMW M works driver Phillipp Eng, who was deeply involved in the development of the new car.

The BMW M4 GT3 will make its southern hemisphere debut at the Bathurst 12 Hour in Febuary next year

With the BMW M4 GT3 making its on-track debut WRT team principal Vincent Vosse said the test was focused on simply introducing the drivers and the team to the new beast.

“It is just a first rollout, just to understand the car and how we could work”, said Vosse. “But obviously it is something very different from what we know.”

The test took place whilst the announcement of the team’s participation in the 2023 Bathurst 12 Hour was revealed.

Team WRT last raced around The Mountain in 2018 when it scored victory with Robin Frijns, Stuart Leonard and Dries Vanthoor driving an Audi and holding off a Mercedes team led by Jamie Whincup.

But Rossi’s participation in the test and in this year’s GT World Challenge Europe season has got people dreaming about him taking on Bathurst with NewsCorp reporting he is a strong chance to return down under and bring some star power to the 12 Hour.

Valentino Rossi steers the new BMW M4 GT3 around the Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona.

The man known as “The Doctor” loved racing in Australia recording eight wins at Phillip Island with he first a 250cc race in 1998 and the last in the premier class in 2014.

Despite the excitement no drivers have been announced for the 12 Hour, but the sight of Rossi playing a big role in the key test shows he is at front of mind.

For more of the latest motorsport news pick up the latest issue of AUTO ACTION.

AUTO ACTION, Australia’s independent voice of motorsport.

Shares

Recent Stories

array (
  0 => 
  WP_Term::__set_state(array(
     'term_id' => 660,
     'name' => 'International',
     'slug' => 'international',
     'term_group' => 0,
     'term_taxonomy_id' => 660,
     'taxonomy' => 'category',
     'description' => '',
     'parent' => 0,
     'count' => 2805,
     'filter' => 'raw',
     'cat_ID' => 660,
     'category_count' => 2805,
     'category_description' => '',
     'cat_name' => 'International',
     'category_nicename' => 'international',
     'category_parent' => 0,
  )),
  1 => 
  WP_Term::__set_state(array(
     'term_id' => 11,
     'name' => 'Latest News',
     'slug' => 'latest-news',
     'term_group' => 0,
     'term_taxonomy_id' => 11,
     'taxonomy' => 'category',
     'description' => '',
     'parent' => 0,
     'count' => 15592,
     'filter' => 'raw',
     'cat_ID' => 11,
     'category_count' => 15592,
     'category_description' => '',
     'cat_name' => 'Latest News',
     'category_nicename' => 'latest-news',
     'category_parent' => 0,
  )),
  2 => 
  WP_Term::__set_state(array(
     'term_id' => 2029,
     'name' => 'ZZZ-Email',
     'slug' => 'email',
     'term_group' => 0,
     'term_taxonomy_id' => 2029,
     'taxonomy' => 'category',
     'description' => '',
     'parent' => 2031,
     'count' => 6174,
     'filter' => 'raw',
     'cat_ID' => 2029,
     'category_count' => 6174,
     'category_description' => '',
     'cat_name' => 'ZZZ-Email',
     'category_nicename' => 'email',
     'category_parent' => 2031,
  )),
  3 => 
  WP_Term::__set_state(array(
     'term_id' => 1683,
     'name' => 'ZZZ-My105',
     'slug' => 'my105',
     'term_group' => 0,
     'term_taxonomy_id' => 1683,
     'taxonomy' => 'category',
     'description' => '',
     'parent' => 2031,
     'count' => 2156,
     'filter' => 'raw',
     'cat_ID' => 1683,
     'category_count' => 2156,
     'category_description' => '',
     'cat_name' => 'ZZZ-My105',
     'category_nicename' => 'my105',
     'category_parent' => 2031,
  )),
  4 => 
  WP_Term::__set_state(array(
     'term_id' => 2031,
     'name' => 'ZZZ-RSSFeeds',
     'slug' => 'zzz-rssfeeds',
     'term_group' => 0,
     'term_taxonomy_id' => 2031,
     'taxonomy' => 'category',
     'description' => '',
     'parent' => 0,
     'count' => 5535,
     'filter' => 'raw',
     'cat_ID' => 2031,
     'category_count' => 5535,
     'category_description' => '',
     'cat_name' => 'ZZZ-RSSFeeds',
     'category_nicename' => 'zzz-rssfeeds',
     'category_parent' => 0,
  )),
)
54787

The brief history of Friday Supercars openers

For the first time on Australian soil, the opening race of a Supercars season will begin on a Friday, but there is still a brief and recent history of it […]

Vaughan making the most of unlikely Super2 shot

Brad Vaughan was consigned to the fact that 2024 was his last in Super2 and his Supercars dream, which is why he is making the most of an unexpected shot […]

Feeney hits duck

Feeney’s victory feathers

Collecting a duck is not usually something a sportsperson in Melbourne wants, but it proved the opposite for victorious Broc Feeney. Feeney found the perfect response to falling just short […]

The contrasting fortunes of Team 18

It was a weekend of up and downs for Team 18 as its new recruit performed, while its incumbent suffered a “disaster.” Anton De Pasquale enjoyed a pleasing Team 18 […]