Valentino Rossi’s dreams of victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans fade away. The multiple motorcycling world champion and now established car driver had long had his sights set on the race on the iconic French circuit but is now forced to deal with reality. After a very positive first part of the race, an accident put an end to the hopes of Rossi and his team who were proving to have all it takes to be able to try to bring home a prestigious victory. The 24 Hours of Le Mans, however, is a race that forces drivers to get closer to perfection. In fact, with the first mistake, there is a serious risk of seeing all hopes of success compromised, as happened to the team of the multiple world motorcycling champion.
A good start
The 24 Hours of Le Mans had started for Valentino Rossi and his BMW M4 with the number 46. After some not extraordinary qualifying (ending with the 12th time), the Italian champion’s team had closed a very positive first part of the race. Taking advantage of the rain, Maxime Martinfirst driver of Rossi’s team, had managed to reach second position, which was then defended without too many difficulties by Al Harthy. The conditions for a good result at the end of the race were therefore all there.
Subsequently, moreover, it was the same Rossi to be able, during his turn at the wheel, to conquer first position, showing the potential of the BMW M4 and increasing his team’s chances of victory. During the night, however, the 24 hours of Le Mans came to an abrupt end for the Italian driver, forcing the team to withdraw due to an accident that made it impossible to continue the race. After the excellent results achieved in recent monthsfor Rossi it is a setback but also a confirmation of his and his team’s potential.
An accident causes dreams of victory to fade
The second part of the race dashed Valentino Rossi’s dreams of glory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In fact, during the first hours of the night, Al Harthy, who had lost first position but managed to defend second, went off track, ending up against the barriers, fortunately without suffering any damage. The same fate did not befall the BMW M4: Rossi’s team car, in fact, recorded significant damage following the impact, making repairs impossible quickly and forcing the entire team to retire.
Valentino Rossi’s debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, therefore, ends in the worst possible way, with an accident that made it impossible to continue the race. For Rossi this is a hard blow but also a confirmation of the potential of his team which will be able to try again to conquer the prestigious French race next year as well as participate in new 24 hours with the aim of snatching prestigious victories already in next months. Certainly, Rossi continues to be one of the main protagonists of the racing world.
