Valentino Rossi’s stint in the FIA World Endurance Championship will not continue into a third season, as BMW has confirmed he will not return to its LMGT3 line-up for 2026.
The nine-time MotoGP world champion transitioned to full-time car racing in 2022 after ending his motorcycle career. He joined Team WRT in the GT World Challenge and later made his FIA WEC debut in 2024 as a BMW factory driver.
Rossi showed strong form early, earning his first WEC podium at Imola in only his second event and later taking another third-place finish at Fuji. He claimed another runner-up finish at Imola in 2025, though a penalty following contact cost him a chance at his first WEC win.
A standout qualifying effort at the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans put Rossi and the No.46 WRT BMW in the mix for LMGT3 class victory, but an overnight electrical issue rendered the car unsafe to drive, resulting in a second consecutive DNF. The team rebounded with a second-place finish at COTA later in the season.
Speculation around Rossi’s future had grown throughout the year, and WRT has now announced that he will not be part of its 2026 line-up. The No.46 car will be replaced by the No.69 entry driven by Anthony McIntosh, Dan Harper and Parker Thompson.
Rossi’s three-year contract as a BMW factory driver expires at the end of 2025. While he had expressed interest in moving up to the Hypercar class, his next steps remain uncertain, with some reports pointing to a possible return to GT World Challenge Europe.
Despite reducing his racing schedule in 2025, Rossi still competed in the Bathurst 12 Hours and the 24 Hours of Spa, earning a podium at Bathurst. Before the WEC finale in Bahrain, he also contributed to the No.46 car’s victory at the Indianapolis 8 Hours in the Intercontinental GT Challenge.
