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Valentino Rossi was back in action this time behind the wheel of the M Hybrid V8 of BMW M Team WRT during collective testing at the Sakhir circuit. With teammate René Rast he completed 69 laps stopping the clock at 1'50"577, which was the seventh fastest time of the day, just over a second slower than leader Earl Bamber in a Cadillac.
In the on-the-spot interview reported by Motorsport.com, the Doctor said he was quite satisfied with the sensations he felt. "With this session I expanded my very personal collection of race cars! In my career I have now tried everything, or almost everything, which is very nice - he began - I am very happy because from the first moment I felt great with the car and tires, I expected to suffer more, especially in getting the tires to temperature knowing that there are no preheating systems."
"When you follow another car it's complicated, however here with the asphalt at 50°C and abrasive I didn't encounter any particular difficulties, plus I always feel good with the harder tires. I also tried the medium tyres, but with the first set I was blocked by the red flag and with the second I encountered traffic and spun - he then recounted - However, I restarted and set my best time. With the hard compound I had a good pace and with less fuel the grip was greater and I had a lot of fun. I must say that compared to the GT3s, with the LMDh you work better and have to be less careful about wear."
Good feelings also came on the front of pure performance. "The car has a lot of horsepower, but it is easy to understand. I really liked the braking without ABS because it's something that allows you to adapt it better to your style, even if you occasionally make mistakes. It's a real race car, with a lot of aerodynamics, more precise, and the engine is really performance oriented. Overall it suits my style better than the GT3 by resembling a MotoGP bike. As trajectories you have to stay more on the track and not cut all the kerbs as I have to do with the other car, so it is just different to drive and I find it closer to motorcycles. For me the problems only come when you have to save energy and fuel."
Overtaking is another critical aspect. "To have two such different categories on the track at the same time is very difficult, and with the test here I got to know the other side of the coin," he acknowledged before a comment on the future.
"For next year I don't think I will change cars, but in the future why not, if there is an opportunity I'll welcome it. I'm not sure yet what I will do in 2025, but BMW and Team WRT are pushing hard for me to stay in the WEC because they think it is more important. I am a bit torn in that something is better in the WEC and something else in the GTWC. In three weeks I will do the last race in the GTWC in Jeddah and then we will decide," he revealed.
