WRT BMW has rejigged its driver line-up for the 2026 World Endurance Championship, with MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi departing the LMGT3 squad after two seasons.
Rossi had been a central figure in BMW’s LMGT3 programme since the inception of the category in 2024, scoring four podiums across 16 appearances in the #46 M4 LMGT3.
However, just a month after the conclusion of the 2025 season in which he, Kelvin van der Linde and Ahmad Al Harthy finished eighth in the standings, the silver-rated Italian has been dropped from the line-up.
A press release revealing BMW and WRT’s two LMGT3 crews made no mention of Rossi, who turns 47 next year. His contract with the German manufacturer was due to expire at the end of the year, but it is expected that he will sign a new deal and return to GT World Challenge Europe, where he previously raced alongside his WEC commitments.
#46 Team WRT BMW M4 LMGT3: Ahmad Al Harthy, Valentino Rossi, Kelvin Van Der Linde
Photo by: Shameem Fahath / Motorsport Network
None of Rossi’s 2025 team-mates will return to BMW’s customer squad next season, with the rebanded #69 M4 GT3 featuring an entirely new driver line-up in the form of factory driver Dan Harper, Parker Thompson and Anthony McIntosh.
McIntosh, who campaigned an Aston Martin Vantage GT3 for Spirit of Leman this year, was among the drivers on duty for WRT during last month’s Bahrain test.
Over in the #32 BMW, Augusto Farfus remains as the crew’s designated pro driver in 2026, but will be united with his former team-mates Darren Leung and Sean Gelael, both of whom return to WRT’s fold after a season with United Autosports McLaren.
Since retiring from MotoGP and switching to sportscar racing in 2022, Rossi has scored three wins in the sprint leg of GTWCE and a podium each in major endurance races like the Bathurst 12 Hour, Gulf 12 Hour and Dubai 24 Hours.
He also sampled the BMW M Hybrid V8 during the 2024 Bahrain rookie test and maintains that Hypercars are more suited to his driving style than the road-based LMGT3 machines.
We want to hear from you!
Let us know what you would like to see from us in the future.
Take our survey
– The Autosport.com Team
Read the full article here