At the Misano track, Valentino Rossi, known as ‘The Doctor’ in the MotoGP world, celebrated a breakthrough victory in his new career as a GT World Challenge Europe driver. Teaming up with Maxime Martin for Team WRT BMW, Rossi’s win involved a bit of luck in the second one-hour race of the weekend. The sister WRT BMW team encountered a disastrous pit-stop, resulting in a 13-second drop and loss of the lead. However, Rossi skillfully maintained his position at the front of the pack and pulled away from Lucas Legeret’s chasing Audi, securing a comfortable victory.
Expressing his happiness, Rossi said, “To win here at Misano is very special. We knew we could be strong, but winning is another story!” Reflecting on his journey, Rossi acknowledged the efforts of Vincent, the entire WRT team, his teammate Maxime, and BMW. He emphasized the significance of this win, as GT racing is highly competitive with numerous fast drivers. Rossi also expressed his gratitude and enjoyment of the moment, hoping to continue their success.
Rossi’s teammate, Martin, who handed over the reins to the nine-time world champion, couldn’t be happier with the result. He noted that winning at Misano was Rossi’s top choice and praised BMW for their return to sprint races after a long break since 2015.
In the first race on Saturday, Rossi and Martin finished eighth. However, starting third on the grid in the second race, they quickly moved up the ranks. The leading WRT BMW, driven by Vanthoor, experienced a pit-stop mishap, allowing Rossi to gain a position. Despite efforts from Legeret in the Audi, Rossi maintained a considerable lead and claimed a popular victory, celebrated by fans with yellow flares and airhorns.
While Sunday was all about Rossi’s triumph, the previous day’s race proved more crucial in terms of the Sprint Cup points standings. Akkodis ASP’s Timur Boguslavskiy and Raffaele Marciello overtook Attempto Racing’s Ricardo Feller and Mattia Drudi with a victory in race one. Marciello secured pole position and led the race before the pit-stops. However, it was Boguslavskiy’s impressive performance as the second driver that sealed their win.
Feller and Drudi faced difficulties due to a poor qualifying session, starting 18th on the grid. Additionally, their Audi received a five-second penalty for exceeding track limits during the race. Despite a strong recovery drive to tenth place, their chances of winning the Sprint Cup were significantly impacted. As a result, Marciello and Boguslavskiy extended their lead to 17.5 points over Rossi and Martin heading into the next round at Hockenheim.
Overall, Misano proved to be a memorable weekend for Rossi as he celebrated his breakthrough victory in GT World Challenge Europe. With a composed and impressive drive, he showcased his skills and adaptability in a different racing discipline. The win not only brought joy to Rossi but also highlighted BMW’s return to sprint races, setting the stage for more exciting competitions in the future.
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