Rossi has revealed that he is targeting competing in the new LMGT3 class at the double-points round of the World Endurance Championship in 2024, which will follow his participation in the Road to Le Mans support race this year.
“Le Mans is the most famous race in the world and for sure it is a target,” said Rossi. “I think we will try to do it next year in a GT car.”
Rossi, 44, explained that competing in the two 55-minute races on the Thursday and Friday of Le Mans week with the WRT BMW team with which is racing in the GT World Challenge this year represents a good opportunity to learn the 8.47-mile Circuit de la Sarthe in preparation for next year.
“The Road to Le Mans is a great chance, because it the only race that uses the same circuit,” said Rossi, who took his first podium in the GTWCE at the Brands Hatch Sprint Cup round last weekend.
“We will try to prepare on the simulator for the circuit - I am very curious. I cannot wait, also to stay there for the week.”
Rossi will race one of two BMW M4 GT3s entered by WRT in the Road to Le Mans race together with Jerome Policand, who is the boss of Auto Sport Promotion Mercedes squad against which the Belgian team races in GTWCE.
Rossi could make the step up to race in the 24 Hours at Le Mans with WRT next year.
The former long-time partner of Audi is in the mix to mastermind BMW’s two-car entry in the LMGT3 pro-am class alongside its campaign as the German manufacturer’s factory operation in the Hypercar class with the M Hybrid V8 LMDh prototype.
Team boss Vincent Vosse would only say that discussions are underway about expanding its programme to incorporate the two entries in LMGT3 that BMW is likely to be granted for the full WEC in 2024.
“It is something we are looking at; it’s on the agenda,” Vosse told Motorsport.com.
“But it is not done yet; we cannot say it is something definite.”
Vosse stressed that a move into LMGT3 would be in addition to a continued presence in the GTWCE run by the Stephane Ratel Organisation.
“We won’t let SRO down; it would be an expansion,” said the boss of a team that has won six overall drivers’ titles in the GTWCE Sprint Cup and three in the Endurance Cup segment of the series.
BMW-contracted Rossi would fit into LMGT3 line-up as the silver-rated driver presuming he retains his current ranking under the FIA’s system of driver categorisation.
It is expected that the LMGT3 class will retain the current rules in GTE Am, which allow for only one platinum or gold-ranked driver and mandate at least one bronze.
Rossi wouldn’t be drawn on whether he wants to contest the full WEC rather than staying in the GTWCE, which he joined last year for his first full season of car racing after retiring from two wheels.
He said that whatever happens he wants to continue to race in the Spa 24 Hours, the blue riband round of the GTWCE, and also outlined an ambition to race in the Nurburgring 24 Hours.
A try-out for Rossi in the BMW M Hybrid V8 is expected later in the year, as outlined by BMW Motorsport boss Andreas Roos late in 2022.
Rossi said he had hopes of racing the car in the future, but stressed that it would be “depend very much on my performance and my speed” when he gets to test it.
