MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi will get his first run in BMW’s LMDh prototype within the World Endurance Championship rookie check in Bahrain.
Rossi will get to pattern the BMW M Hybrid V8 on the Bahrain Worldwide Circuit on 3 November, a day after the 2024 WEC concludes within the Gulf nation.
The German producer had first revealed plans to provide the Italian an opportunity behind the wheel of its prototype when he was added to its manufacturing facility roster for the start of the 2023 season.
The unique timeline concerned Rossi driving the Dallara LMP2-based racer in direction of the again finish of final yr, earlier than BMW moved the deliberate outing to 2024.
Talking completely with Motorsport.com on the sidelines of this weekend’s GT World Problem Europe occasion in Monza, Rossi himself confirmed that he’ll lastly get the chance to drive the BMW LMDh in slightly over a month’s time.
“On the Rookie Check I’ll strive the BMW LMDh and I am very, very comfortable as a result of final yr I bought to drive the LMP2, so the following aim is to see what the M Hybrid V8 is like,” he stated.
“After which who is aware of, perhaps sooner or later there shall be a spot in Hypercar. Let’s examine.”
#20 BMW M Workforce WRT BMW M Hybrid V8: Sheldon Van Der Linde, Robin Frijns, Rene Rast
Picture by: JEP / Motorsport Pictures
Ultimately weekend’s penultimate spherical of the WEC at Fuji, BMW motorsport boss Andreas Roos already hinted at Rossi getting behind the wheel of the marque’s LMDh automotive within the Bahrain rookie check.
He stated: “It is going to be a shock, perhaps! We are going to see. He positively will get the check this yr.
“We stated from the start that Valentino shall be within the automotive and we clearly stated originally that it’ll not be originally of the season, as a result of then we now have greater than sufficient to do to get our issues sorted, and the main focus was clearly there to get every little thing ready.
“However he shall be within the automotive this yr.”
Producers have often taken benefit of the now-traditional Bahrain check to each consider and reward newcomers, together with drivers who’re extra well-known for his or her exploits in different disciplines.
Two-time Method 1 champion Fernando Alonso bought his first style of the Toyota TS050 LMP1 automotive in Bahrain in 2017 earlier than embarking on the 2018/19 superseason.
The Japanese marque then put its World Rally Championship star Sebastien Ogier in its new LMH automotive on the finish of the 2021 season within the Gulf nation.
Rossi, a seven-time champion in MotoGP, bought to finish his first laps in a prototype in Bahrain final yr when he took the wheel of a WRT-run Oreca 07 LMP2.
He subsequently entered the WEC this yr in a BMW M4 GT3 entered by WRT within the new LMGT3 division.
The 45-year-old’s feedback at Monza on Friday indicated that he nonetheless harbours aspirations of racing within the prime class of both the WEC or the IMSA SportsCar Championship within the BMW M Hybrid V8.
Learn Additionally:
