Also this year the number 46 will be on the track, no longer on the fairing of a motorcycle but on the doors of a car. Valentino Rossi, who retired from MotoGP, had promised that he would not stop being a rider, but doubling the number of wheels. In recent months he has calmly evaluated the various possibilities and finally decided: in 2022 he will take part in the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS championship at the wheel of an Audi LSM with the WRT team colors.
The Doctor had done a test on the Belgian team’s car in Valencia last December and that day convinced both sides to reach an agreement. «Everyone knows that I have always been a great fan of car racing and that I have always been interested in racing on four wheels when my career in MotoGP was over – said Valentino -. Now I am fully open to dedicating myself to a high-end car racing program with the right professional approach. The WRT team responds perfectly to what I was looking for and I can’t wait to start this adventure ».
He will not have to wait long, the first official tests are scheduled for 7 and 8 March, while the first race will be held in Italy, in Imola, from 1 to 3 April. The championship is divided into two different cups, one on Sprint races and the other on Endurance races, Rossi will take part in both. Which will give him the opportunity to run one of the races he has always dreamed of participating in, the 24 Hours of Spa.
The Doctor will then find some of that adrenaline he left behind when he abandoned MotoGP and will face the new adventure with the same spirit as always: trying to win. «We all know that Vale is a great motorcycle champion and an important figure for the sport but, above all, he is a true rider, very professional and competitive, eager to be a winner in the new challenge – explained Vincent Vosse, owner of the team -. It is exactly for this reason that we wanted to work with him ».
In addition to his commitment as a rider, Rossi is joined by that of owner of the VR46 team, who will race this year in MotoGP with Luca Marini and Marco Bezzecchi. The motorcycle chosen is the Ducati, which is part of the Audi family.