Valentino Rossi’s feedback after debut in BMW M Motorsport Hypercar

Valentino Rossi took part in the FIA World Endurance Championship rookie test in Bahrain.

It was his debut in the BMW M Motorsport Hypercar, a significant milestone in his four-wheel racing career.

The MotoGP legend got behind the wheel of the #20 BMW M Hybrid V8 in Bahrain on Sunday.

He was second-fastest on the timesheet behind Ferrari’s Arthur Leclerc (brother of F1 driver Charles).

Rookie Test fastest drivers

1. Arthur Leclerc - Ferrari 499P - 1m50.460s

2. Valentino Rossi - BMW M Hybrid V8 - +0.117s

3. Victor Martins - Alpine A424 - +0.257s

4. Max Hesse - BMW M Hybrid V8 - +0.359s

5. Thomas Neubauer - Ferrari 499P - +0.570s

6. Philip Hanson - Ferrari 499P - +0.964s

“Today was a fantastic day,” Rossi reacted.

“I had the chance to drive the BMW M Hybrid V8 for the entire day, with the whole crew and René Rast who gave me advice.

“I enjoyed it a lot, the car is fantastic, very fast and very strong.

“It has a lot of power, the lap times have been 15 seconds faster than in the GT3, the tyres have great grip. It is a real race car.

“I was quite worried because I had never driven the Hypercar before, but I felt good from the first lap on because the car is stable and gave a good feedback.

“To go fast is very difficult but it’s a lot of fun.

“I have to say thank you for that great experience and I hope that I can have another chance to try the car.”

Andreas Roos, Head of BMW M Motorsport, said: “After a long 2024 season in the FIA WEC, the Rookie Test here in Bahrain was a nice way to wrap things up.

“It’s always a great event that gives new but also young drivers the opportunity to drive these cars. And when you look at the timing monitor, our three ‘rookies’ did an outstanding job.

“This goes for our nine-time motorcycle world champion Valentino Rossi as well as for our former BMW Juniors Dan Harper and Max Hesse, who have gone through the BMW Junior Program and, after great development, have now arrived as full-fledged BMW M works drivers in the top class.

“All three got out of the car with big smiles on their faces after their first kilometres in the car. I believe this day will stay with them. We learned a lot, they learned a lot, and it was an all-around successful Rookie Test.”