BMW and Team WRT have confirmed a significant change to their LMGT3 programme for the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship, with Valentino Rossi no longer part of the WEC driver line-up. The decision brings Rossi’s two-season run in the series to an end. It remains to be seen what his involvement with BMW Motorsport will continue to be in 2026.
Good Results With BMW Motorsport
Rossi has been closely associated with BMW’s LMGT3 effort since the category’s debut in 2024. Driving the #46 BMW M4 LMGT3, the nine-time MotoGP world champion quickly became one of the most recognizable figures in the WEC paddock. Across 16 starts, Rossi scored four podium finishes, including an impressive third place at Imola in just his second WEC appearance and another podium later that year at Fuji. In 2025, he returned to the Imola podium again, although a penalty following contact ultimately denied him a realistic shot at a first class victory.
The #46 crew, shared with Kelvin van der Linde and Ahmad Al Harthy, finished eighth in the LMGT3 standings in 2025. While the results were solid, the season was also marked by frustration, most notably at Le Mans. After a standout qualifying performance that put the car firmly in contention for class honors, an electrical issue during the night rendered the M4 unsafe to continue, forcing a second consecutive retirement at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. A strong run at Circuit of the Americas later in the year, where the car finished second, underlined the underlying pace of the package.
Despite those highlights, BMW and WRT’s press release announcing the 2026 LMGT3 line-ups made no mention of Rossi. The #46 entry will be replaced by the #69 BMW M4 LMGT3, crewed by Anthony McIntosh, Dan Harper, and Parker Thompson. Rossi, who turns 47 next year, was on a factory BMW contract set to expire at the end of 2025, and his future in the WEC had been uncertain for much of the season.
Rossi’s History in GT Racing
Since stepping away from MotoGP at the end of 2021, Rossi has built a credible résumé in GT racing. He joined WRT in GT World Challenge Europe in 2022 and has since claimed three sprint race victories in the series, along with podium finishes at major endurance events such as the Bathurst 12 Hour, Gulf 12 Hour, and Dubai 24 Hours. Even as he reduced his overall racing commitments in 2025, Rossi still appeared at marquee events including Bathurst and the 24 Hours of Spa, securing another podium in Australia. He also played a role in WRT’s victory at the Indianapolis 8 Hours, the final round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge, just ahead of the 2025 WEC finale in Bahrain.
Rossi has made no secret of his ambition to move up to the Hypercar class. He sampled the BMW M Hybrid V8 during the 2024 Bahrain rookie test and has stated on multiple occasions that the prototype suits his driving style better than GT3 machinery. For now, however, there is no indication that a Hypercar programme is imminent. The most likely next step appears to be a return to GT World Challenge Europe, where he previously combined sprint and endurance racing with his WEC commitments.
BMW M4 CS Edition VR46
Although Rossi’s WEC chapter with BMW has come to a close, his relationship with the brand remains broader than racing alone. Earlier this year, BMW unveiled the BMW M4 CS Edition VR46, a limited-run model developed in collaboration with Rossi and inspired by his iconic racing number and color palette. The car underscored Rossi’s continued relevance within BMW’s performance and lifestyle narrative, even as his factory racing role evolves.
For WRT and BMW, the 2026 WEC season represents a reset on the LMGT3 side, with a younger driver line-up and a clearer long-term development focus. For Rossi, it’s another pivot in a post-MotoGP career that has already proven more substantial and competitive than many initially expected, even if a third season in the World Endurance Championship is no longer part of the plan.
[Source: Motorsport]
