No one is going to discover at this point Valentino Rossi's ability to go fast in a vehicle. The Italian is being one of the reference drivers of the World Endurance Championship, but in Le Mans things did not go well. The nine-time Motorcycle World Champion was facing his first 24 Hours of Le Mans, and has performed at a high level with his team.
At the controls of the BMW M4 and within the LMGT3 category, the Italian driver is showing great speed and also the necessary reliability. Rossi is participating in the championship full-time but, obviously, the most important event of the season is the one held on the asphalt of the Circuit de la Sarthe.
A track that Valentino knew slightly from his time as a motorcycle racer because it uses the beginning of the circuit, but which then runs along the outskirts of the permanent route. Even so, Rossi and his team, despite starting from twelfth place in their category, began to make a comeback with Maxime Martin, Ahmad Al Harthy and Valentino himself until placing the 46 car in first position.
Valentino Rossi's car had to withdraw from the 24 Hours of Le Mans
For several hours from Saturday to Sunday night, Valentino Rossi's team led the race. But a mistake by Ahmad Al Harthy, the bronze category driver, caused the BMW to hit the protections. Despite the driver's efforts to get the car to the pits, nothing could be done due to the damage and the time that would have been lost in preparation.
Drama in the LMGT3 class as Ahmad Al Harthy lost the BMW M4 LMGT3 No.46 after the Dunlop bridge. He is being rescued by the marshals and will be able to get back in the race.#WEC #LeMans24 pic.twitter.com/FqxHM8mrdu
— FIA World Endurance Championship (@FIAWEC) June 15, 2024
Due to the characteristics of this championship, in the LMGT3 category there is a driver with less experience, not professional but competent and fast who can play a decisive role. Sometimes positively and sometimes negatively. This time he came up tails for the Valentino team, but it could have come up heads and the outcome would have been different.
In any case, Rossi's debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans can be considered positive and, in addition, he has dragged part of his legion of followers to the French track, even putting the organization in trouble.
