Valentino Rossi’s GT World Challenge schedule and team-mates revealed
Valentino Rossi’s full GTWCE programme has been announced
MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi’s full GT World Challenge Europe programme for 2026, as well as his team-mates, have been officially revealed.
The nine-time grand prix motorcycle world champion switched to car racing full-time upon his retirement from MotoGP at the end of 2021.
He joined Belgian outfit WRT for his maiden campaign in GTWCE in 2022, competing in full campaigns in 2023 and 2024, with the latter coming alongside his debut year in the FIA World Endurance Championship.
Valentino Rossi stepped back from a full GTWCE season last year, prioritising his WEC commitments, though still making wildcard appearances in the former.
At the end of last year, BMW announced that Rossi would not return to the WEC in 2026, with the MotoGP icon confirming last week that he will contest GTWCE instead.
Rossi also announced that he’d signed a three-year factory extension with BMW.
He told Sky Sports Italy: “I will race in the GTWC, and I'm very happy, because it's a championship that I really like and in which I took part at the beginning of my racing career.
“For the last two years I've been racing in the World [Endurance] Championship, but I decided to change because the GTWC is in Europe and the races are closer together, while with the WEC most of the events are outside Europe, taking a lot of flights and making long trips.”
In 2026, he will campaign the No.46 WRT BMW alongside Max Hesse and Dan Harper.
Rossi and Hesse will be the team’s pairing for the Sprint Cup events at Brands Hatch, Misano, Magny-Cours, Zandvoort and Barcelona.
For the Endurance Cup rounds, Rossi and Hesse will be joined by Harper at Paul Ricard, the Nuburgring, Portimao and the 24 Hours of Spa.
Rossi will also contest the Bathurst 12 Hours this year with WRT again, having finished second at the event in 2025.
The Italian will be looking to add to his three victories in the GTWCE’s Sprint Cup, with all of his triumphs coming on home soil at Misano.
In the Endurance Cup, Rossi has a best of fourth at Paul Ricard during the 2024 season.
In this article
