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Valentino Rossi confirms first race of 2026 season following WEC exit
MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi will be participating in the 2026 Bathurst 12 Hours as part of WRT BMW’s lineup, marking his first race event of the season.
Rossi, a nine-time motorcycle world champion, has been with WRT’s team since his retirement from MotoGP in 2022, transitioning to car racing full-time.
After competing for two years in the FIA World Endurance Championship with BMW, Rossi’s exit from the series was announced recently as WRT revealed its 2026 line-ups.
For the Bathurst 12 Hours, Rossi will be driving the No.46 BMW M4 GT3 Evo alongside Augusto Farfus and Raffaele Marciello, aiming for success in the event.
Having previously driven with Farfus and Weerts at Bathurst, Rossi’s participation reaffirms his commitment to endurance racing and the Intercontinental GT Challenge.
While continuing his GT racing campaigns and building on past successes in WEC and GTWCE, Rossi’s presence at Bathurst adds excitement to the motorsport world.






