Valentino Rossi fell short of a🅷 podium finish on his debut in the World Endurance Championship.

Rosܫsi and Team WRT teammates Maxime Martin and Ahmed Al Harthy finished fourth in the season-opening 🅷Qatar 1812km.

MotoGP lege🦋nd Rossi was behind the wheel of the BMW M4 in the LMGT3 class which has been introduced for 2024.

🅠T🍎his year, Rossi will compete in the World Endurance Championship and the GT World Challenge.

The addition of his WEC commitments ♊is with a view to racing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans - one of his alꦍl-time dreams - later this year.

"That was♏ my debut so I was excited," Rossi said to Eu𝓀rosport.

"I felt good, especially in the fi🍌rst stint. I was fast.

"I kept a good pace. I felt good with the car.

"In the second stint, it was a bit more difficult because the track is very different compared to yester🌊day, because of a lot of rubber and a lot of grip.

"So you stress the tyres more.

"In the second stint, it was more tricky📖. For some reason, I had more traffic.

"The ✤condition of the track is in evolution. If you go out of the line..."

Rossi, now agedꦦ 44, is into his second season of four-wheel racing since retiring from MotoGP.

Building towards this year'ꦫs 24 Hours of Le Mans is his ongoing 🔥goal.