Valentino Rossi set for 2023 Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe season: “Drivers look at me like a motorcyclist”
The MotꦗoGP legend begins the 2023 Fanatec GT World Challenge Eur♎ope season this weekend at Monza, his second year as a four-wheel racer.
He has opened up on the transition💞 from bikes to cars, how his 💙competitors look at him, and the differing fear factor.
“In the car they are worse than on the motorbike because, in the car, it is less scary,” Rossi❀ tol♈d Gianluca Gazzoli’s podcast.
“In the car yo⛄u are inside a cage and therefore crashing into another is less scary.”
Rossi said about his hostile welcome onto the grid:♒ "It's difficult. First of all, because the driver looks at you as if✨ you were still a motorcyclist.
“In the seꦚnse that he says 'I've been racing cars for a lifetime, now comes this one who has always raced with motorcycles’.
“So let's say that they are even more motivated to keep me behind. And𓂃 anyway the𝐆re are a lot of very strong drivers and so the level is quite high.”
Rossi described the racing: "They use the car as a shield or in any case to annoy the opponent by exploiting the fact that the car is ﷽big.
“Overtaking with the car is much more difficult than on a motorcycle, because on a motorcycle you have fou♓r times the space🅺.
“But it must be sai🥃d that in any case racing on a motorbike is a very similar thing from many points of view and then I have always tried to carve out the time to do two races a year with cars.
“So in ಞany case I have a good experience also on the four wheels.”
Rossi explaining why, aged 44, he still has a passion to race in cars: “My father, Graziano, had done thꩲis before.
“Graziano stopped racing in '82 and I was only three years old then. I do not remember. During my career I've always done some races🌺 and so on.
“I've always tolꦓd myself when l stop riding and I w🅺ant to race in the car so I don't stop racing. That's why in the end it's the same sensations.
“You have to work every wee💟kend with the team to be more competitive so💝 you have the adrenaline of the race.
“We say the same things as with the motorbike but here in the ꦕcar. It's a little bit less physically difficult.”
Rossi represents Team WRT and𒉰 will team with Maxime Martin and Augusto Farfus this weekend at Monza in his #46 car.
He will be driving a BMW, after🏅 Team WRT switched from Audi last season, for the second time after competing in the Bathurst 12 Hours.
James was a spo♏rts journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
