Rossi and BMW coming back to Bathurst

Doctor, doctor give me the news, Bathurst will have a bad case of loving Valentino Rossi again with the MotoGP legend coming back to the 12 Hour with BMW.

Rossi will return with Team WRT and its two factory supported M4 GT3s for the February endurance race.

Naturally the “Doctor” will drive in his iconic #46 on the door alongside Maxime Martin and BMW M Motorsport recruit Raffaele Marciello.

The sister #32 entry will also be a contender with Sheldon van der Linde, Dries Vanthoor and Charles Weerts behind the wheel.

The Team WRT BMWs achieved a pair of top 6 finishes on Bathurst 12 Hour debut last year.

Rossi and Team WRT made the Bathurst 12 Hour bigger than ever last year during their solid debuts.

In Rossi’s first drive of Mount Panorama, he finished sixth despite a late additional pit stop to repair an electrical issue, while the other car finished a strong fourth.

The return of the “Doctor” will excite motor racing fans all over Australia after record crowds flocked to catch a glimpse of the seven-time MotoGP World Champion.

After the competitive start at Bathurst BMW M Team WRT enjoyed a solid 2023 highlighted by victories at the Dubai 24 Hours, plus Kyalami 9 Hour and Indianapolis 8 Hour Intercontinental GT Challenge races.

Although much of the fanfare will surround Rossi, Marciello arrives at BMW with high expectations having collected three Bathurst 12 Hour podiums in the past, while he also took pole in 2019.

He cannot wait to have a crack in a factory BMW.

Valentino Rossi will be back in the famous #46.

“Bathurst is a very special place for me – the perfect first race with BMW M Motorsport,” he said. 

“I love the circuit and have come very close to winning on a few occasions. Unfortunately, it has never quite worked out so far.

“However, I believe I have a good chance to change all that this year with BMW M Team WRT. WRT is one of the best teams in the world, and my team-mates Maxime and Valentino are extremely quick.

“Sharing the car with Vale is very special for me. I watched him in MotoGP when I was a kid.”

After showing pleasing pace last year, BMW Team WRT Principal Vincent Vosse is determined to go all the way and hunt down the Mercedes in 2024.

Sheldon van der Linde, Dries Vanthoor and Charles Weerts will drive the yellow Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 that finished fourth in 2023.

“What an event to kick off our second season with BMW M Motorsport,” he said.

“We are very much looking forward to returning to Bathurst.

“We were unfortunately unable to challenge for first place again last year, but we are now back for another shot with a fantastic squad of drivers.”

The Bathurst 12 Hour will be held across February 16-18 and expect the fans to be covered in yellow.

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