Valentino Rossi heads into this season’s GT World Challenge powered by AWS Sprint Cup round at Misano with only one objective: to take another victory at his home track.
It's the same objective he's carried into the past three events at the Italian venue, and each time he has been successful. It was the scene of his maiden series win in 2023 and he repeated the trick in 2024 and 2025. Each was different – though the reaction from the fans has always been pure jubilation.
All three were achieved with Team WRT and at the wheel of a BMW M4. There's no change on that front, but this year Rossi will look to win for a fourth time with a third different teammate. After Maxime Martin (2023 & 2024) and Raffaele Marciello (2025), he's now joined in the #46 Team WRT entry by Max Hesse, one of BMW's brightest young stars. So, can they keep the run going by triumphing in 2026?
"Every year is more difficult, but we will try!" says Rossi. "I feel very good with Max. I've always shared with great talents, and he is one of them. He's a great driver and I feel very good with him, so I think we can fight.
"First we need to understand if we are competitive, but I love Misano," he continues. "It's my place, my home. I'll have all my family and friends there. It's extra motivation to try to fight.
All three of Rossi's Misano wins raised the roof at the Italian venue. He has celebrated each with the same level of enthusiasm, but there’s one that clearly stands out as being of particular significance.
"The first was special," he confirms. "When I started competing in cars, I was not certain if I was able to win. For sure the feeling [after the first win] was different than the others; it was special."
Of course, his maiden GT World Challenge victory in 2023 was by no means his first at Misano – it was just his first on four wheels. As his home venue, Rossi has been competing there for almost as long as he can remember.
"Misano is for me is very special because it was my first track," he says. "I was there in 1992, riding a Cagiva 125 two-stroke. That's more than 30 years ago!
"A lot of things are the same [between a GT car and a bike]; a lot of things are different. My experience with the bike helped, but with the GT, Misano is something else. You have completely different lines compared with a MotoGP bike.”
Since his first GT World Challenge race at the track in 2022, Misano has been flooded with Rossi's fans. The event has grown noticeably during this time and the upcoming edition promises to be bigger than ever, including a new live music element – ElektronFest – on Saturday evening.
"There are so many people and year by year always more. This year they have organised a very good weekend. On Saturday night there's a big party with some of my friends playing. Also the format is great. Sprint is very exciting and we have one race during the night on Saturday and another on Sunday afternoon, so I hope that all my fans will be there."
A few weeks ago, Rossi made his fifth appearance at the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa. Sharing with Hesse and Dan Harper, he finished sixth in the biggest GT race in the world – the best-placed BMW – and he's also won the Indianapolis 8 Hour and twice finished on the podium at the Bathurst 12 Hour. The Doctor is now fully established as a GT driver, though he still feels he can improve.
"First of all, when you race in this series you need to learn a lot of things – rules for pit stops and driver changes – and you need to do everything correctly. In Endurance races you also have the strategy.
"But I think my main development has been in the driving. I had already some experience in GT3 cars while I was racing in MotoGP. But if you want to compete with the top guys you need understand how to get the car to the limit, especially with the braking, corner entry, using the aero. I think I am still learning!"
Rossi will aim to put that learning to good use and raise the roof again when the chequered flag falls at Misano.