Valentino Rossi’s Bathurst 12 Hour – a dream come true

Colin Young, who has covered over 450 Grands Prix including all of Rossi’s 115 GP wins, looks at how “The Doctor” has been preparing for the big race in this exclusive AUTO ACTION story.

Although it will be Rossi’s first visit to the circuit, he says he is not a complete novice as he has been practising on Playstation!

Rossi will tick off one more item from his bucket list since switching to four wheels after a glorious 25 years in grand prix motorcycle racing.

The seven-time MotoGP world champion has long held ambitions to race at Mount Panorama as one of the world’s iconic circuits. And he has done some homework.

The charismatic Italian, winner of an historic 89 MotoGP races, is one of the most recognisable names in world sport.

Rossi is entered to drive a factory BMW M4 GT3 as the headline act in the line-up of 84 drivers from 15 countries in the 12 Hour classic.

The BMW M4 GT3 Valentino Rossi will drive at the 2023 Bathurst 12 Hour. Image by Team WRT and Photographer, Brecht Decancq

“The Doctor” and Team WRT arrive at The Mountain in strong form, having recently raced at the Dubai 24 Hour and scored a podium finish, while the sister entry claimed the victory. The pair also completed an extensive testing program in preparation for a busy 2023.

But Valentino Rossi admits that the intimidating 6.2 km Mount Panorama public road course is “very difficult.”

Apart from Playstation, Rossi has background from his acclaimed bike crew chief Jeremy Burgess and long serving technician Gary Coleman.

Both Burgess and Coleman raced at Mount Panorama as national level road racers before becoming part of Rossi’s close-knit GP bike squad.

Valentino Rossi will bring a lot of colour to the Bathurst 12 Hour paddock. Photo by Gold and Goose / LAT Images

“I know this track and I like it very much. I have trained on the Playstation and it has always been part of my plan to race there,” Rossi said.

“Bathurst is a very particular track, it is like a mountain road course and I know it is very difficult.

“Both Jerry and Gary raced there on motorcycles, we’ve spoken about this.”

At the peak of his bikes career Rossi resisted overtures from Ferrari after test drives for a switch to Formula One. He is a devoted and knowledgable student of motorsport history, both bikes and cars.

Valentino Rossi at a pre-season Formula 1 test for Ferrari at Valencia in 2006. Picture: Motorsport Images

His transition to four wheels will enable him to race at circuits that were not available, for safety reasons, during his record setting two-wheel career.

“Not just Bathurst but I also want to do Spa, the Nurburgring (long circuit) and Le Mans (24 Hours),” Rossi added

“I know the most famous race at Bathurst is with the V8 but I’ve wanted to do the GT3 there.”

Valentino Rossi holds off Marc Marquez in a famous win at the 2015 British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Image: Kevin Wood/LAT Photographic

The factory GT3 sports coupes in the 12 Hour own the fastest sedan lap times at Mount Panorama with Shane van Gisbergen’s pole lap of 2m 01.2s in a McLaren 650S GT3 set in 2016.

Kiwi ace and reigning Supercars champion van Gisbergen is the defending 12 Hour winner and will again drive a Mercedes AMG GT3.

Valentino Rossi during his final MotoGP race at the 2021 Valencia Grand Prix at Valencia Circuit Ricardo Tormo. Photo by Gold and Goose / LAT Images

The GT3 benchmark is two seconds faster than the Supercars pole lap of 2m 03.5 posted by Cam Waters (Ford Mustang) in 2020.

Rossi is a six-time winner of the Australian MotoGP race at the Phillip Island circuit.

To stay up to date with all the 12 Hour action taking place at Mount Panorama this weekend, follow the AUTO ACTION website and social channels.

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