MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi will get his first run in BMW’s LMDh prototype within the World Endurance Championship rookie take a look at 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 offer the Italian an opportunity behind the wheel of its prototype when he was added to its manufacturing unit roster for the start of the 2023 season.
The unique timeline concerned Rossi driving the Dallara LMP2-based racer in the direction of the again finish of final yr, earlier than BMW moved the deliberate outing to 2024.
Talking solely 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 somewhat over a month’s time.
“On the Rookie Take a look at I’ll strive the BMW LMDh and I am very, very completely happy as a result of final yr I received to drive the LMP2, so the subsequent objective is to see what the M Hybrid V8 is like,” he stated.
“After which who is aware of, perhaps sooner or later there might be a spot in Hypercar. Let’s have a look at.”
#20 BMW M Group WRT BMW M Hybrid V8: Sheldon Van Der Linde, Robin Frijns, Rene Rast
Picture by: JEP / Motorsport Photos
Finally 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 automobile within the Bahrain rookie take a look at.
He stated: “It is going to be a shock, perhaps! We are going to see. He undoubtedly will get the take a look at this yr.
“We stated from the start that Valentino might be within the automobile and we clearly stated at the start that it’s going to not be at the start of the season, as a result of then we’ve 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 might be within the automobile this yr.”
Producers have frequently taken benefit of the now-traditional Bahrain take a look at to each consider and reward newcomers, together with drivers who’re extra well-known for his or her exploits in different disciplines.
Two-time System 1 champion Fernando Alonso received his first style of the Toyota TS050 LMP1 automobile 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 automobile on the finish of the 2021 season within the Gulf nation.
Rossi, a seven-time champion in MotoGP, received 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.
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