Valentino Rossi excited ahead of Bathurst 12 Hour
Fraser Barton |
Valentino Rossi’s experience of Bathurst has come primarily through virtual simulations but says he’s excited for a 12 hour spin around Mount Panorama ahead of Sunday’s 12-hour GT race.
A nine-time grand prix world champion, seven of which came in the MotoGP category, Rossi headlines the Team WRT BMW entry alongside Augusto Farfus and Maxime Martin.
No stranger to success in Australia, the Italian nicknamed ‘The Doctor’ won eight times at Phillip Island between 1998 and 2014 and says he’s buoyed by the enormous support he’s received since returning Down Under.
“I spent a long, long time in Australia in my life, a lot of times in Philip Island for the MotoGP and the fans are very strong for motorsport and is always a great feeling,” he said on Thursday.
“The first time for me in Bathurst will be very different but the place looks fantastic – is incredible.
“I always just drove with the sim but before we did the one lap, and it’s an incredible track. All the drivers say that it’s also very beautiful so we will wait for tomorrow to try with the car.
“(The fans) They are always crazy for MotoGP and they always follow in Phillip Island. Fortunately I did a lot of great races and win some championships also, so I have a good support.”
Sunday’s race field sees 28 cars and 84 drivers entered for the International Motorsport Sports Association’s first GT event of the calendar.
A string of Australia’s leading Supercars drivers both current and former are also part of the race with reigning champion Shane van Gisbergen and teammate Broc Feeney pairing up in the Supercheap Auto Racing Mercedes entry.
Seven-time Supercars championship winner and Triple Eight Racing team principal Jamie Whincup fronts the Boost Mobile Racing entry, while two-time Bathurst 12 Hour and seven-time Bathurst 1000 winner Craig Lowndes leads Scott Taylor Motorsport’s Mercedes entry.
Lowndes said the international support the event is seeing now back at full capacity is sensational.
“The line of people on the sides of the street were unbelievable – I haven’t seen that for a long time,” he said.
“This event just keeps growing and growing and of course last year we had COVID, we couldn’t get the internationals – they’re back … so the awareness of Europeans from over there about this place is amazing.”
For Whincup and his team, he said a competitive showing in Sunday’s race is paramount but they are also fine-tuning preparations for the Supercars season beginning next month.
“While we’ve got one eye looking at our Supercar program trying to get two Gen three cars built to get on track, we’ve absolutely got all our crew here this weekend to make sure we get the best possible results,” he said.
AAP