MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi races at Brands Hatch for the second successive year in the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe tomorrow (Sunday), and the Italian is aiming for a potential car racing career best, particularly in the second race where his BMW M4 GT3 will start from fifth on the grid.
Having raced at the venue for the first time in all disciplines last year, Rossi has considerably more experience this time around, and is competing at a venue he admits is “great fun.”
“Brands Hatch is a great track, I like it a lot,” he said. “For me it is the second time here, last year was my first time and for me, Brands Hatch is the Donington for cars. It is very similar, very technical and fast, with a lot of quick corners and a lot of ups and downs and greenery. It is a great track.
“When you drive at the limit it is great fun. The best section for me is turn five, six and seven (Hawthorns, Westfield and Sheene Curve), the three right handers, that are very fast and the last one is also blind. It is for sure, a great track.”
Fans of the great Italian are expected to flock to the venue tomorrow, and he’ll meet some of them in the fully-booked GT World Challenge Pit Lane autograph session.
“Tomorrow morning we will meet with a lot of fans and I’m looking forward to seeing them tomorrow. It is always great to come here and race in the UK because I always have a lot of support and a lot of fans. Tomorrow morning will be a great chance to sign some things and get some pictures.”
With teammate Maxime Martin delivering an excellent lap in the second part of qualifying, the pair have a chance to aim for the podium from the third row of the grid.
“Like last year, in race two we were not so bad as we finished P8, and so the target is to improve that position, try and finish in the top-five and our position at the start is good. For me, our pace is not so bad and if we are able to improve, my driving and also the setting of the car for tomorrow, I think that we can make a good race.”
Tickets for the Fanatec GT World Challenge at Brands Hatch on 13/14 May are available on the gate all weekend, with free entry for children under-13. Click here for more information.