Valentino Rossi : "I am not surprised by the level of the championship"

If Brands Hatch was completely new for Valentino Rossi, Magny-Cours is a little less so. It was at Magny-Cours that the WRT driver completed his first test of the year at the wheel of the Audi R8 LMS GT3/WRT. The track being more Superbike than MotoGP, Vale has never driven in competition here. 

The #46 Audi R8 LMS GT3 he shares with Fred Vervisch scored his first points at Brands Hatch in Race 2 with an eighth place finish. 

Like his rivals, Valentino Rossi had the opportunity to drive this morning on the Nivernais circuit. "The track is not easy because it is very technical", said Valentino Rossi. "My first feeling is quite good even if we still have to work on the data and the cameras. The track requires you to jump on the curbs, which is not something I'm used to. It's important to see where you have to pass to get the right lines. I love discovering new tracks." 

With this full programme mixing Sprint and Endurance, the iconic #46 driver is doing much more than his two Blancpain races in a Ferrari. "I'm not surprised by the 2022 level", he explains. "I was following the championship even though I wasn't driving in it, so I had an idea of the drivers driving in the series. It's a new world for me. Driving in the GT World Challenge Europe is the right choice as I can combine Sprint and Endurance. These GT3s are more endurance oriented with more strategy for the teams. For me, Sprint is closer to MotoGP."

Valentino Rossi can count on the experience of Fred Vervisch to help him progress in a WRT team that is at home in GT3 category. 

 In March, Valentino Rossi told Endurance-Info that he was planning to attend the 24 Hours of Le Mans as a spectator, in order to get a feel for the event before driving at a later date. However, his schedule will not allow him to be in Sarthe next month. The Road to Le Mans could have been part of the menu to discover the great circuit of the 24H of Le Mans but it is only a postponement. 

In addition to the ten GT World Challenge Europe events, Valentino Rossi has not ruled out a race at the end of the season with Alessio Salucci and Luca Marini, in order to finish the year well. Gulf 12 Hours in December is the logical race for him.