Rossi to Make Bathurst Debut as WRT Sets BMW Lineups

Team WRT has announced that Valentino Rossi will make his Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour debut with the team in February, ahead of a full-season program in Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS.

The Belgian squad on Friday named the first driver lineups for its maiden season running the BMW M4 GT3, following its switch from Audi.

Former MotoGP star Rossi will contest the Intercontinental GT Challenge powered by Pirelli season-opener at Bathurst with BMW factory drivers Maxime Martin and Augusto Farfus.

The same trio will then go on to share the No. 46 BMW in GTWC Europe Endurance Cup, where Rossi raced full-time this year in a WRT-run Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II.

WRT’s No. 32 BMW will be driven by Dries Vanthoor, Charles Weerts and Sheldon van der Linde at Bathurst and throughout the Endurance Cup season.

Vanthoor and Weerts will also bid for a fourth consecutive Sprint Cup title together.

Rossi and Martin form WRT’s other Pro painting for the five-round Sprint campaign.

WRT ran Audis in GT3 this year but went on to split with the German manufacturer after the demise of their planned LMDh program.

The team went on to form a new partnership with BMW, while Rossi has elected to remain with WRT through that transition.

In addition to Bathurst and GTWC Europe, the 43-year-old will also take part in the Hankook 24 Hours of Dubai next month, sharing the No. 46 BMW with Martin, Tim Whale and FIA World Endurance Championship LMP2 driver Sean Gelael.

WRT’s two-car operation for the 24H Series season-opener also includes the No. 7 car for defending Dubai winners Vanthoor and Mohammed Al Saud, as well as Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer and two others.

“It’s a very busy and exciting period for us, as we advance in the new partnership with BMW and prepare for the 2023 season,” said WRT team principal Vincent Vosse.

“The end-of-the-year break will be very short, but today is the time for our yearly party, a tradition we cherish and allows the entire WRT family to get together around a good dinner.

“It’s a perfect time to show our people the BMW M4 GT3 in full race gear and announce some more elements of our 2023 race programs.

“We are extremely happy to retain and welcome heavy names such as the ones you have read above.

“Our first race in Dubai is basically around the corner, shortly followed by our debut as BMW M Team WRT at Bathurst. We are terribly excited at what is ahead of us and can’t wait to be hitting the track!”