The most awaited and prestigious event of the four-wheeled Endurance World Championship, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, is still a week away, but the drivers have already begun to enliven the streets of the French town at the official presentation of the crews which took place in the central square.
Among those present, there was Valentino Rossi who, for the second consecutive year, will be at the start behind the wheel of the M4 prepared by the WRT team, sharing the cockpit with Ahmad Al Harthy and Kelvin Van Der Linde. In 2024, the Doctor had only managed to enjoy a couple of hours of the legendary endurance race, due to a premature withdrawal of the car caused by an accident when the driver from Oman was at the wheel, which is precisely why he showed up in France quite motivated.
"I'm very happy to be here for the second time at the most important race of the season. I raced at Le Mans for so many seasons on motorcycles and have great memories. Unfortunately, it didn't ended well twelve months ago. We were very fast and in a good position, but we weren't lucky, and that left a bitter taste in our mouths," he said, as reported by Motorsport.com.
"In fact, I wasn't able to actually enjoy the true 24 Hours of Le Mans characterized by the night, the dawn of the next day, and the damage the car can undergo. So the goal is to try to make it to the end and hopefully get a good result," he continued.
He inevitably also spoke about two wheels and the recent victory of LCR team rider Johann Zarco on transalpine track. "I think he did a great GP in crazy conditions, but he got on the podium in the following one as well. A sign that he's not only doing well, but also that Honda is improving the bike a lot. And this is also good for my brother, Luca Marini," the rider from the Marche region concluded.