Valentino Rossi Prepares for 24 Hours of Spa with BMW M4 GT3

He was the major attraction of the 2022 edition for his debut on the Spa double clock with the Audi R8 LMS GT3 – Team WRT.

An event finished in 17th place, at the end of a complicated race both in the clan of the firm with the rings and at Team WRT, but which had allowed Valentino Rossi to familiarize himself with the specificities of the 24 Hours of Spa.

Back this year, still in Vincent Vosse’s stable, the multiple MotoGP champion will be able to build on this first experience, while having to deal with a new factor: the change of mount with the passage from Audi to BMW. M4 GT3.

At ease at the wheel of the Bavarian GT since the start of the year, both in Endurance and Sprint, with a first podium at Brands Hatch, Valentino Rossi aims to maintain this momentum at the major Belgian event, despite an absence in Superpole yesterday for the n°46 shared with Maxime Martin and Augusto Farfus.

How are you approaching the race, after the various runs since the start of the week?

We tested here last month, we were fast and with good pace and my teammates have always been strong here. On Thursday, the feeling was different with the track and the car compared to testing, as the conditions deteriorated. In qualifying, with the rain it was crazy, with a lot of water. It was hard to see the trail. We were aiming for Superpole, but we finished 21st by 37 thousandths. It’s a shame, because in Superpole I’m sure Maxime would have had a good result. But it’s a long race, and everything is open for a good result. Everything will depend on the pace. If we have that, starting 21st won’t be a problem.

You find the 24 hours after your first participation in 2022. Is it easier to manage because of this experience?

A 24-hour race always offers a special context. The track is fantastic. This meeting is a bit like Assen on a motorbike, it’s one of the best tracks for car racing, with 70 cars in the same category, the best drivers, several factory cars. In 2022, it was special, because the 24 Hours of Spa without rain is already difficult. You have to be fast but above all not make mistakes. Sometimes it’s complicated to manage the traffic. If it rains hard, with the night, it will be complicated. The forecast indicates that it could rain, especially on the first part of the race, before it improves on Sunday. We will see, and we will be ready for all conditions.

Do you have to manage the car change between Audi and BMW? Is the transition, specifically on this track, easy?

The Audi and the BMW are very different, primarily due to the position of the engine, which is also turbo in the M4. The Audi is very fast, but not a simple car. It takes a lot of kilometers to get to its limit. The M4 is a bit simple, especially in the fast. It is very stable, and on this track, in areas like Raidillon, Blanchimont where you have to be flat out, that helps. I feel comfortable there. And the sensations are quite good in the wet.

In your opinion, where do you stand today compared to Maxime Martin and Augusto Farfus?

Maxime and Augusto are faster than me. I’m not far. It also depends on the conditions: sometimes I am very close, sometimes not. They are very experienced and know how to handle all situations. From this point of view, I still have to learn from them, but I am in a perfect environment for that, with the possibility of seeing the data, the videos.