Valentino Rossi’s GT World Challenge Europe 2026 Programme Revealed

MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi will contest a full GT World Challenge Europe (GTWCE) campaign in 2026, with his complete schedule and team-mates now officially confirmed.

The nine-time grand prix motorcycle world champion transitioned to car racing full-time following his retirement from MotoGP at the end of 2021. Rossi joined Belgian outfit Team WRT for his debut GTWCE season in 2022, before completing full campaigns in 2023 and 2024. The latter coincided with his first season in the FIA World Endurance Championship.

Rossi stepped back from a full GTWCE programme in 2025 to prioritise his WEC commitments, although he still made several wildcard appearances in GT World Challenge events. At the end of last year, BMW Motorsport confirmed that Rossi would not return to the WEC for 2026.

That decision was reinforced last week when Rossi confirmed his full-time return to GT World Challenge Europe and announced a new three-year factory extension with BMW.

Speaking to Sky Sports Italy, Rossi explained the reasoning behind his move back to GTWCE.

“I will race in the GTWC and I’m very happy, because it’s a championship that I really like and one that I took part in at the beginning of my car racing career,” Rossi said.
“For the last two years I’ve been racing in the World Endurance Championship, but I decided to change because the GTWC is based in Europe and the races are closer together.”

“With the WEC, most of the events are outside Europe, which means a lot of flights and long trips,” he added.

For the 2026 season, Rossi will drive the iconic No.46 BMW for Team WRT alongside Max Hesse and Dan Harper. The trio will share driving duties across the Sprint Cup and Endurance Cup formats.

In the Sprint Cup, Rossi and Hesse will form the core pairing at Brands Hatch, Misano, Magny-Cours, Zandvoort and Barcelona. For the Endurance Cup rounds, Harper will join Rossi and Hesse at Paul Ricard, the Nürburgring, Portimao and the flagship 24 Hours of Spa.

Rossi is also set to contest the Bathurst 12 Hours once again with Team WRT. The Italian finished second at the Australian endurance classic in 2025, narrowly missing out on victory.

In GT World Challenge Europe’s Sprint Cup, Rossi has already claimed three victories, all achieved on home soil at Misano. His strongest Endurance Cup result to date is a fourth-place finish at Paul Ricard during the 2024 season.

With a calendar focused entirely on Europe in 2026, Rossi will aim to build greater consistency and add to his GT World Challenge win tally, as he continues to shape the next phase of his racing career beyond MotoGP.