Marciello Lines Up With Rossi for Endurance Cup Campaign

Reigning Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Endurance Cup champion Raffaele Marciello will defend his title alongside his FIA World Endurance Championship Hypercar duties, forming part of Team WRT’s three-car BMW effort.

Marciello secured his second consecutive Endurance Cup title with Akkodis ASP Team last year before leaving Mercedes-AMG to join the BMW factory driver roster.

There, he was already confirmed to be taking part in the upcoming Repco Bathurst 12 Hour with Team WRT and will spearhead the Belgian team’s factory Hypercar effort in WEC.

In addition to his prototype duties, the Swiss driver was confirmed on Friday to also remain in GTWC Europe Endurance Cup, but with the Vincent Vosse-led squad.

Marciello will team up with Valentino Rossi and Maxime Martin aboard the No. 46 BMW M4 GT3, forming the same driver lineup that will race at Bathurst.

WRT’s second Pro car will see an unchanged lineup of Sheldon van der Linde, Dries Vanthoor and Charles Weerts, while Ahmad Al Harthy, Sam De Haan and BMW factory driver Jens Klingmann line up in Bronze Cup.

“I am really happy about this double program in 2024. I have a lot of good memories in the Fanatec GT World Challenge, where I was twice an overall champion,” Marciello said.

“Together with Maxime and Vale, and Team WRT, we have a very strong ticket and I hope we’ll have an amazing year.”

Notably, Marciello could go absent from Sprint Cup competition for the first time since his switch to GT3 racing in 2017, as he has not been named in WRT’s four-car effort for that series.

Three-time Sprint Cup champions Vanthoor and Weerts are set to continue their partnership aboard the No. 32 machine, looking to return to title-winning form after being ousted by Tresor Orange 1 duo Mattia Drudi and Ricardo Feller last year.

Sam De Haan and Calan Williams will team up in Silver Cup, while the driver lineup for the No. 31 car remains yet to be confirmed.

WRT’s Sprint Cup stable will expand to include a fourth entry for the season opener at Brands Hatch and the Misano round, as the No. 46 machine of Rossi and Martin will make two guest appearances at those events.