Valentino Rossi: MotoGP icon on new GTWCE rivals - ‘I’m not far from top guys'

Valentino Rossi has thrown down the gauntlet to his new adversaries in the GT World Challenge after crossing over from MotoGP ahead of just his second race.
Valentino Rossi
Valentino Rossi
© n/a

Rossi will drive a Team WRT Audi R8 at the GT World Challenge Europe at Brands Hatch on S🃏unಌday.

His debut race at Imola was marred by a mistake in his team’s pit stop resulting in Rossi bypassing ✤his crew, losing time and eventually finis🐲hing 17th.

Asked what his hopes were for his first race since that error, Rossi said: “Before Imola, I did not know. After Imola, I think we can fight for seventh or eighth place, maybe si𒉰xth. The level is very high.

“The top 15 are very strong. To stay i🦋n tꦿhe top 10 is a good target. It will not be easy.

“My performance in Imola was not so bad. But during 🙈the we𒆙ekend we had problems to face - first, qualifying you must do a lap before practice. This is very difficult.

“The good drivers have a big difference compa🎐red to me.

“My lap times were not so bad. But I need to arrive ཧat that performance earlier. I need to improve my skills. I am not far from the top guys but they are faster than me.

“It is just the beginning of the sea🐓son. I need to improve race-by-race.”

Valentino Rossi
Valentino Rossi

Swapping MotoGP for GT World Challenge

His team-mate on 🍸Sunday is Belgium’s Frédéric Vervisch, who has taken Rossi under his win🅷g.

Vervisch🅠 said about Rossi’s apprenticeship in a new sport: “The best I’ve had so far. I am experienced with driver coaching. 

“What he ha♚s done ꦜis impressive. He is being modest. You tell him something once, and he does it.

“For him - he tries, it doesn’t work, he says ‘OK, try agai✨n’.

“He can do the sam✅e as u🍌s, or even better. He is just yet to bring it all together.”

Sunday will be Rossi’s first race at Brands Hat✅ch - his MotoGP appearances in the UK were at Donnington and Silverstone.

He said on Friday: “It’s the first sprint race for me, so something different compared to the endurance race. You have to work a lot in the pit stops to not lose ⛎time.

“It is the first ti▨me for ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚme at Brands Hatch and, unfortunately during the winter we did not do a test, so I do not know the track.

“I tested the track on the simulator. 𝕴It’s a great track, fantast🌼ic, difficult. There are a lot of places that are blind. The track is in fantastic condition with new asphalt.

“The team is very high level. All the guys that work arಌound the car ca🌊n help me improve my skills.”

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James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything ♐from American sports, to football, to F1.

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