Valentino Rossi 2026 Bathurst Livery Revealed

WRT, Sportrik Media - Valentino Rossi will begin his 2026 campaign with a fresh look after WRT officially unveiled the No.46 BMW M4 GT3 Evo livery for this weekend’s Bathurst 12 Hours.

The nine-time grand prix motorcycle world champion confirmed late last year that he would return to Mount Panorama for the 2026 edition of the iconic endurance race. In 2025, Rossi and the No.46 BMW crew secured second place, completing a WRT one-two finish and underlining the competitiveness of his GT3 programme.

For the 2026 event, Rossi will partner reigning Bathurst winner Augusto Farfus and reunite with 2025 team-mate Raffaele Marciello. The line-up positions the No.46 BMW as one of the strongest contenders heading into the endurance classic.

In its official statement, WRT highlighted that Farfus, Marciello, and Rossi would once again “conquer the mountain” together this weekend. The BMW M4 GT3 Evo has already delivered multiple international victories for the Belgian squad and now makes its Bathurst debut in its latest specification.

Earlier this year, Rossi signed a three-year contract extension with BMW to remain a factory driver. In 2026, he will undertake a full campaign in the GT World Challenge Europe across both sprint and endurance rounds, marking his first complete season in the series since 2024.

In 2024, Rossi combined his GTWCE programme with his debut campaign in the FIA World Endurance Championship. Despite achieving podium finishes across two WEC seasons, BMW and WRT confirmed he would not return to the LMGT3 line-up for 2026, allowing him to focus entirely on GT3 competition.

For the 2026 GTWCE season, Rossi will share the No.46 BMW with Dan Harper for all rounds, while Max Hesse will join for the endurance events. The trio already launched their 2026 season successfully, winning the GTD Pro class at the season-opening IMSA SportsCar Championship round at the Daytona 24 Hours.

Harper has previously spoken of his childhood admiration for Rossi and described becoming his team-mate as a particularly special milestone. The partnership reflects BMW’s long-term commitment to integrating Rossi into its global GT racing structure.

Meanwhile, during the 2026 MotoGP season launch event in Kuala Lumpur, VR46 team boss Pablo Nieto confirmed that Rossi will maintain a presence in the paddock at selected events this year, reinforcing his continued involvement in the championship that defined his career.

With prior Bathurst experience and the evolving BMW M4 GT3 Evo package, Rossi enters 2026 in a competitive position. The Bathurst 12 Hours serves not only as the start of his GT3 campaign but also as an early indicator of BMW and WRT’s ambitions within global endurance racing.