MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi secures first podium at Bathurst 12 Hour
Seven-time MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi has secured his maiden podium at the Bathurst 12 Hour sportscar race, finishing second in the 2025 edition.
Team WRT put on a spectacular show for the 51,372-strong crowd at Mount Panorama Circuit and executed a masterful strategy to reclaim Australian glory after their maiden win in 2018.
Its #32 entry of Brazilian Augusto Farfus and South African brothers Sheldon and Kelvin van der Linde claimed victory in a brilliant tactical performance on what was a banner day for the WRT operation.
WRT's second entry, the #46 was piloted by MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi, Belgian Charles Weerts and Suiss Raffaele Marciello.
From the fourth hour onwards, both cars commanded the race, car #32 took the lead while car #46 maintained a strong second-place position. A brilliant fuel-saving strategy allowed the team to sustain a consistent pace and preserve their advantage over the demanding 12-hour distance.
However, Rossi's car encountered a setback in the eighth hour, dropping from second to last in the PRO category following a drive-through penalty for a breach of Safety Car regulations. However, flawless on-track driving and swift pit-stop execution allowed a strong recovery, ultimately allowing car #46 to finish in second place.
Having taken second place at the Barhurst 12 Hour, Rossi has expressed his desire to return to the Bathurst 12 Hour.
With Rossi's international driving commitments set to include a second-straight World Endurance Championship campaign in a WRT BMW M4 GT3, there were some questions surrounding his ongoing participation in the event.
"I want to come back, because for me it's good to come and race one time a year in Australia, because I like this place a lot," said the 45-year-old Italian.
"It's the perfect way to start the season, because the track is fantastic, and the race is also very difficult. I hope that in the next year more factory drivers and more factory cars can come, but I think that I will come back here."
Reflecting on the impressive start to his 2025 racing season, Rossi continued: "It's a fantastic way to start the season with a podium. All weekend was great, we were always strong and competitive.
"The race was good, we could fight with the #32, but unfortunately I made a mistake, and we took a drive-through.
"But from that moment, you think that the fight for the podium is over for us, but we were able to come back with great pace and some great work from the team, and I'm very, very happy.
"For sure the podium is always a target, and it is a great feeling to race here at this track."
