Valentino Rossi will probably drive on four wheels in the DTM: report

Image: DTM

Since The Doctor announced his exit from MotoGP at the end of this season, there has been a range of speculations as to where his talents might end. Much like the narrative of Mark Webber pulling out of Formula 1 just to win Le Mans and a WEC championship, the motorcycle world treats that decision as a retirement from racing, even though Valentino actually has several more years of outstanding four-wheeled performance to show Motorsport before him. At the moment it looks like he could drive into the DTM championship, which was recently converted to GT3 Spec.

Rossi hasn’t won a race since 2017, so it’s not like he’s leaving the DTM on his motorcycle peak. The younger ones simply have better reaction times, and that is much more important on two wheels than in the car. Don’t get me wrong, I think he still has a lot of talent to be in MotoGP these days, but maybe he would be better off in a car where you don’t tip over or with a momentary misstep. Fenders are much more forgiving.

According to a recent report by Italian language website moto.it Vale spoke to the former Ferrari F1 ace and current DTM boss Gerhard Berger about entering the series. Not only would his name attract a lot of attention to the Eurocentric racing series, but it could also be an opportunity to prove yourself in a rather low-stakes environment. Sure, the DTM is incredibly competitive at the moment, like all GT3 championships, but it’s not like this is an FIA World Championship or something. If it doesn’t shine right away, it can be swept under the rug a bit.

During the press conference announcing his departure from MotoGP, Rossi said, “I’ve already said that I love racing cars, just a little less than racing a motorcycle. I think I’ll be driving cars from next year. But now it’s all in the works … not yet decided. I feel like a driver or a driver for life. So I just switch from motorcycles to cars. Certainly not on the same level. But you never drive for fun. If you are a real driver or driver, you drive to be strong and to win; try to get a good result.

“At the moment I don’t know which cars, I don’t know which races. I said that I would like to compete in the Le Mans 24 Hours and do a lot of car races around the world. “

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Rossi is also no stranger to competition on four wheels. At the beginning of the year, his Ferrari team clinched a podium in the GT3 class at the Gulf 12 Hours in Bahrain. He has also tried his hand at rallying and has made three different World Rally Championship starts.

A few years ago, between 2006 and 2008, Rossi even tested a few then modern Ferrari Formula 1 cars. At the height of his athleticism, he was within shouting distance of today’s riders’ pace. If he could do that with just a few test sessions, imagine how well he could have ridden four wheels with constant effort. Sure, he’s a little older and a little worn out these days, but maybe we’ll finally get a chance to see what he can do with his focus on cars.

Rossi has tried a variety of auto races during his cycling career. That year he was on the podium in the GT3 class on a Ferrari at the Gulf 12 Hours in Bahrain. He has also made three starts in the World Rally Championship and completed several tests in a Ferrari F1 car between 2006 and 2008.