Valentino Rossi qualifies P2 in 24 Hours of Le Mans support race

He is edging closer to his dream of racing in the world famous endurance race - on Thursday, he will drive in the Road to Le Mans race.

Rossi's #46 Team WRT BMW qualified behind only the #31 BMW.

Next year, Rossi hopes to return for the real thing.

“The 24 Hours of Le Mans was always a target from the beginning,” he told Eurosport.

“This weekend I will learn the track, important for next year.

“We need to be competitive in the GT car. Then we will understand if I am fast enough to test and race in a hypercar.

“It’s great. I came here with MotoGP for more than 20 years but the longer track is very different.

“It is a great emotion to race there. I like the long track.

“Especially, it is always fast. It is high speed, the braking is difficult, the layout is interesting.

“The last part, with the fast corners, is very strong.”

Rossi will race in the Road to Le Mans on Thursday.

He is driving a Team WRT BMW in the GT class alongside Jérôme Policand. Their car will sport his famous #46.

Rossi is in the early stages of his second season on four wheels, since retiring from MotoGP at the end of 2021.