Valentino Rossi made the jump to four wheels four years ago, but this weekend he lived his first great World Cup battle in the 6 hours of Icola, in which he went from hero to Villano in less than 24 hours.
The ’46’ already has three years of experience in GT, in a good level championship, the GT World Challenge, and one in the World Cup in Resistance as an official BMW pilot in the LMGT3 category. Together with his crew companions at the WEC, he has had good results, but his moment of glory (and after) has lived precisely in his home career.
The first pole, at home
Valentino Rossi is the BMW #46 silver pilot of the German WRT team (next to the Bronze Ahmad al-Harthy and the platinum van der Linde). As such (by regulation), he is in charge of disputing the final classification session, the Hyperpole … provided that the bronze pilot manages to overcome the first phase (the so -called classification) among the top ten. That is what happened on Saturday in the 6 hours of imola.
Rossi achieved, in the first person, the pole position for 6 hours of Imolajulien Delphosse / DPPI
Rossi achieved his first great individual success as a resistance World Cup pilot by signing the pole position for the Italian event ahead of the Lexus of Clemens Schmid and Aston Martin de Zacharie Robichon. That first Pole of the Italian left his car in a privileged position to achieve his first victory in the Wec.
However, the same one who touched the sky on Saturday (for Delirium of the Tifossi) went down the hell on Sunday. Rossi, who was accompanied by several MotoGP pilots from their academy (including Pecco Bagnaia or Franco Morbidelli), left everything frozen with a Rookie maneuver when the Ecuador of the race had not even reached.
An error that is worth a victory
Rossi, who had taken Al-Harthy’s witness, rolled in second position, attached to the rear spillage of Heriau, Mann and Rovera. The Italian, clearly faster, tried to move on to Simon Mann in the second of Rivazza inside, a more than complicated place and, of course … it went wrong.
Rossi touched the Ferrari and threw him against the barriers, while his BMW left the incident intact … although for a short time since the commissioners imposed a Drive Through that took #46 from the head.
In spite of everything, Kelvin Van der Linde was about to give him the victory in the final stretch since he recovered all the distance lost by the nine -time world champion and reached the last two laps to the wake of the Porsche de Hardwick, Pera and Lietz, but did not find the hole to overcome him (the narrow track of Imala did not make it easy … as a couple of hours before he discovered the ’46).
Knowing what had cost the action to his team, The Doctor assumed the mea guilt: “I have mixed sensations because the podium is a good result … but we could have won,” he acknowledged. “I made a mistake and hit the Ferrari in an attempt to overtake. The penalty cost us the victory. I’m very sorry.”
Rossi’s BMW #46 during the race. Fabrizio Boldoni / DPPI
At least, second place in Icola is the best result of your team, matching the same result achieved last year in Enzo and Dino Ferrari. Valentino Rossi’s fate is written: dispute in the short term the 24 hours of Le Mans behind the wheel of the BMW M V8 Hybrid of the Hypercar category. But for this you must learn these lessons