Rossi to race at Bathurst in 2023?

Italian motorcycle racing icon Valentino Rossi thrives on challenges, and one of the ultimate challenges is driving a sports car at full noise around the Mount Panorama circuit in Bathurst. Well, it’s still a few rungs below the level of commitment required on a motorcycle, but we’ll push on…

The big news coming out of Europe is that the entertainer par excellence is reportedly set to compete in the 2023 Bathurst 12 Hour endurance race from February 3-5 in the premier GT3 class.

And it’s all because Team WRT, the outfit he drove for in the 2022 GT World Challenge Europe – his first full season as a car racer after retiring from MotoGP – has switched from Audi to BMW hardware in 2023 to campaign the brand-new M4 GTS.

In turn, BMW has committed to a full program in 2023, which includes the global Intercontinental GT Challenge which kicks off at Mount Panorama.

WRT has committed to fielding two M4s at Bathurst, and Rossi, who’ll be nearing 44 when the event comes around, is among its 20-strong roster of factory drivers.

There are extremely accomplished steerers in that vast group, but according to Italian outlet GPOne Rossi is in the mix to be on the plane to Australia – which would be his first trip Down Under since finishing eighth at the 2019 MotoGP race at Phillip Island.

At it’d also be the ultimate shakedown before Rossi gets back to business in Europe, with Mount Panorama placing an absolute premium on car performance – as well as biting drivers in the proverbial if things don’t go right. And the competition will be red-hot, not just from Rossi’s European contemporaries but also the best driving talent from Australia and New Zealand.

And wouldn’t it be something to see Casey Stoner competing against his old MotoGP adversary? Going through the famed dipper would be interesting…

Watch this space, with the entry list for the 12 Hour to be release in coming weeks.