Rossi back in racing, will be driving an Audi R8

In April of last year, Valentino Rossi – who is perhaps MotoGP’s G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All-Time) – has called it quits after 25 years of Grand Prix racing. But it seems racing anything that burns gasoline is deeply rooted in Rossi’s veins as he will embark on another racing campaign this year. What will he race this time? Answer: Supercar.

The Doctor – as Rossi is often called, has joined Belgian racing team WRT to race in this year’s GT World Challenge Europe, driving a souped-up Audi R8 supercar.

Rossi back in racing, will be driving an Audi R8 image

“I am delighted to join Team WRT for a full Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS program. Everybody knows that I have always been a great car racing fan and that I have always been interested in racing on four wheels once my MotoGP career would come to an end. Now I am completely available to devote myself to a car racing program at a high level and with the right professional approach. Team WRT is the perfect fit I was looking for and I am anxious to start this new adventure in the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS with them,” says the 9-time MotoGP World Champion.

Not “newbie”

Valentino Rossi has always been a big fan of car racing and even raced on 4-wheels during his stint on MotoGP. Back in 2002, Rossi raced in the World Rally Championship (WRC), and got 11th place in an event in 2006. He also raced in the Monza Rally, where he won the title in 2006, 2007, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018.

Rossi also had a pretty successful stint in endurance racing, finishing 3rd in the Gulf 12-hours in Abu Dhabi and also 3rd in the Bahrain 12-hours in 2021.

“I have experience racing the GT3, which is an interesting category because it has a lot of different factory cars, important – from Ferrari to Porsche, from Bentley to Aston Martin. So, I think I will race with that type of car when I stop racing in MotoGP. But I don’t know in which championship sincerely,” Rossi said during an April 2021 interview.

The 2022 GT World Challenge season testing will start March 8 in France, while the actual racing season will start April 1 at Rossi’s home country at Imola, northern Italy.

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