Rossi among BMW’s trio of Hypercar tryouts in Rookie Test

Nine times a motorcycling world champion, it was perhaps no surprise that Rossi should take to WEC like a duck to water this year, and alongside Team WRT stablemates Maxime Martin and Ahmad Al Harthy, ‘The Doctor’ has twice reached the rostrum in BMW’s M4 GT3 and put in a starring performance in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Now, as he evaluates the next stage of his second career in the sport, Rossi is set to take to the track in the annual Rookie Test (3 November), behind the wheel of the same BMW M Team WRT prototype that finished second overall in last month’s 6 Hours of Fuji.

“I am thrilled that I can test the Hypercar,” the Urbino native enthused. “We have been looking for a date for a long time, and now it has finally worked out. I really wanted to do this test to get a feel for what the BMW M Hybrid V8 can do. Many thanks to BMW M Motorsport for this opportunity.

“For me, Hypercars are the MotoGP of prototype racing – they have a lot of power and are very impressive. I prepared in the BMW M Motorsport simulator and already got a first impression, but driving the real car will be even more exciting. I am very curious to see what potential I have in the BMW M Hybrid V8.”

Rossi will be joined in the Rookie Test at Bahrain International Circuit by rising star Dan Harper – British GT Champion in 2023 and winner of the ‘Bronze’ category in the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup this season – and the Northern Irishman’s fellow BMW works driver, Max Hesse.

“I’m incredibly excited about the chance to drive the BMW M Hybrid V8 for the first time in a real test,” Harper commented. “I’ve already been at the wheel for an aerodynamics test, but that was really just straight-line driving. Many thanks to BMW M Motorsport for this fantastic opportunity and the trust in me.

“I’ve not had any experience with prototypes or open-wheel cars in my career, so this will be a big change for me. I have already noticed in the simulator how much higher the speeds are compared to the GT3 so I’m not putting too much pressure on myself – I’m just trying to enjoy the test day as much as possible. To do this test with Max [Hesse] is something very special for both of us, as we have been on this path together through the BMW Junior Team from day one.”

Hesse similarly arrives with an impressive CV. The 23-year-old German ascended the top step of the podium in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup earlier this season, and won his class in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring four years ago.

“I’m very excited to be able to take this step together with Dan after all of our joint steps since 2020,” he revealed. “During the season, I sat in the BMW M Motorsport simulator very often and contributed to the further development of the BMW M Hybrid V8, so it is of course very exciting for me to now be able to compare it to the real race car.

“I think that will bring me on personally a lot, but it will also provide us with important insights for the upcoming simulator sessions to prepare the car for the 2025 season. I think it’s important that we spend the entire week in Bahrain with the team and attend all the meetings. That way, we won’t be starting from scratch on test day.”