Nico Müller: "An honor to race with Valentino Rossi" 🎥
FIVE GT3 LONG-DISTANCE RACES Nico Müller will contest the five endurance races of the GT World Challenge Europe as partner of the legendary motorcycle world champion Valentino Rossi in the champion team WRT from Belgium on an Audi R8.
Valentino Rossi in a short interview in English and during the first tests with the WRT Audi in Valencia - of course with start number 46, as in MotoGP.
After retiring from motorcycle racing, Valentino Rossi is continuing his career in GT3 sports cars. The Italian is familiar with this category from various endurance races, such as the 12 Hours of Abu Dhabi with Ferrari partner team Kessel Racing.
Start in the GT3 king class
For his future on four wheels, only the best is good enough for "Vale" - and that's what he gets in the GT World Challenge Europe. The current champion team WRT from Belgium is fielding several Audi R8 LMS evo 2 cars and manning one with Valentino Rossi and Belgian Audi factory driver Frédéric Vervisch in the full championship.
In the five endurance races (Endurance Cup), Nico Müller will be the third man. It had been Rossi's wish to have two professionals as partners and to compete in the top Pro category.
Plump and perfectly filled racing calendar
For the recently 30-year-old from Berne, who will thus compete in three championships in 2022, this constellation means more than any other long-distance pairing to date.
Nico Müller: "I was really keen on this project because it fits perfectly in terms of timing alongside the DTM and the World Endurance Championship in the LMP2 car. Rossi is a legend and Audi Sport obviously thought I was the right team partner for him with Vervisch. It's an honor to be able to race with him. For me, he's been a hero in motorsport since childhood."
Rossi still needs some time
The Swiss is aware that all eyes will be on this superteam. Expectations are high for all of them, but he is still dampening them somewhat.
Nico Müller: "Vale is a cool guy and very likeable. He has super basic speed, but certainly still needs some experience. We have to remain realistic that it won't be easy for us until he finds the final tenths."
First official appearance next week
Nico Müller has no doubt that this will happen. Rossi has already completed several test days, most recently this week with him.
At the beginning of next week, they will take part in the official GTWC test drives at Le Castellet and then also face the photographers together for the first time.
The season kicks off on April 2-3 with the first three-hour endurance race at Imola.
