Valentino Rossi still harbours hope of racing in WEC’s Hypercar class

MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi admits he still dreams of racing a hypercar in the World Endurance Championship, but concedes his chances of doing so look slim in the short term.

Rossi has made no secret of his desire to compete in prototype machinery, believing it better suits his driving style than the GT3 cars he has been racing since his retirement from MotoGP in 2021.

The Italian got a chance to sample the BMW M Hybrid V8 at last year’s Bahrain rookie test, where he ended up just a tenth off the pace set by Charles Leclerc’s younger brother Arthur in a Ferrari 499P.

However, that promising outing did not result in more opportunities in the top class, with Rossi remaining in the WEC’s LMGT3 class for a second season in 2025.

The 46-year-old revealed that he spent the entire year working on a potential Hypercar programme for 2026, but admitted those plans are yet to materialise.

“The hypercar is more similar to a motorcycle [than a GT3] — and I enjoy [driving] it,” Rossi said in Bahrain. “So from that moment [in the Bahrain test], we tried to race in the hypercar this year, but it was not possible. 

“All during this season, we tried to race in the hypercar for next year, but unfortunately, it was not possible. It looks like it’s difficult to race in the hypercar. I don’t know if it will happen — it’s a shame.”

Asked if it would be possible for him to contest individual races in Hypercar, if a full-season campaign is off the table, Rossi said: “It can be a good idea, but I don’t know if it’s possible, because usually if you race with a hypercar, it’s for the whole season. 

“BMW has a lot of drivers, a lot of younger drivers. And it’s a shame, because I feel good with the car, and it can be interesting to race there. But I don’t know if it will happen next year. Anyway, I’m also open for some races.”

Since switching to car racing full-time, Rossi has raced exclusively with Vincent Vosse’s WRT team. The Belgian squad already serves as BMW’s factory partner in the Hypercar category and will expand its programme next year to take on the running of the German manufacturer’s parallel effort in IMSA’s GTP class.

Rossi said this could open a door for him to contest selected IMSA rounds, particularly the longer Michelin Endurance Cup events that require additional drivers. “It can be a chance, because the WRT next year will also manage the IMSA [programme]. So maybe it can be possible. I don’t know, I hope,” he said.

However, Rossi ruled out the prospect of entering next year’s IMSA season-opener at Daytona, where BMW typically runs four drivers in each GTP car instead of the usual two.

“Daytona is also on the list, because it’s a great 24 hours [race],” he said. “I think for next year, it will be difficult, because January is already here. But maybe in the future.”

2026 plans uncertain

Rossi joined the WEC full-time following the series’ introduction of the LMGT3 ruleset in 2024 and dedicated all his efforts on the championship this year after bowing out of GT World Challenge Europe.

Over the 16 WEC races he contested across the two seasons, he scored four podium finishes in his class — and came close to winning this year’s Imola 6 Hours in the #46 BMW M4 GT3 he shared with Kelvin van der Linde and Ahmad Al Harthy.

Rossi’s three-year deal as a factory BMW driver expires at the end of this year, and while a contract renewal is expected, it remains unclear which championship he will contest in 2026.

“We still don’t know what we will do, which championship,” said Rossi. “The WEC can be, for sure, an option We will see with BMW in the next month. We will try to decide what is the best programme.”

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— The Motorsport.com Team