Valentino Rossi wins lightning-affected Indianapolis endurance race for BMW

MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi helped the No.46 WRT BMW to victory in the Intercontinental GT Challenge race at Indianapolis, which was heavily affected by lightning.

While Rossi has scaled back his car racing commitments to just one full-time campaign in the FIA World Endurance Championship, he has been part of WRT’s line-up for several other notable endurance races.

Having already competed at the Bathurst 12 Hours - which he won - and Spa 24 Hours in a BMW superteam that included former Formula 1 driver Kevin Magnussen, Rossi joined WEC team-mate Kelvin van der Linde and Charles Weerts for the IGTC finale at Indianapolis.

In a packed field of 25 cars, Rossi took the first stint in the No.46 BMW in the eight-hour contest.

Ending the first hour in seventh, Rossi got the No.46 car up to fourth in hour two before handing over to Weerts.

Now in a podium position at the end of hour three, the No.46 - with van der Linde behind the wheel - was sitting in second when the race was suspended due to lightning and heavy rain.

The race wouldn’t resume again until the final 92 minutes, with a strategy call working in the No.46 BMW’s favour to propel it into the lead.

After 198 laps of running, the No.46 took the chequered flag to claim WRT’s third win in succession at Indianapolis and crowned van der Linde IGTC drivers’ champion.

Rossi is a previous winner at Indianapolis in 2008 in MotoGP, in a similarly weather-affected grand prix.

“I am really happy. It was a great weekend,” he said.

“These types of races I enjoy a lot, and I also learn a lot.

“I think I did a good job in the first two hours. I think, all weekend, the #777 was faster than us.

“They were very unlucky. But I am very happy about the weekend and about how I drove.”

Rossi will be back in action in early November for the final round of the FIA WEC.