MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi helped the No.46 WRT BMW crew to another podium at the 2026 edition of the Bathurst 12 Hours, which was marred by several huge crashes.
The nine-time grand prix motorcycle world champion announced in January that he had signed a new three-year deal with BMW to remain a factory driver.
He continues with Belgian outfit WRT, with whom he has been since switching to car racing full-time in 2022, and kicked off his season with an outing at the Bathurst 12 Hours.
Starting seventh in the No.46 BMW M4 GT3 Evo, which he shared with Augusto Farfus and Rafaelle Marcielo, the car hit the lead in the very early stages of what would prove to be a dramatic race.
At the halfway stage of the of the race, the No.46 was running in third, where it would ultimately finish six hours later.
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It marks Rossi and the No.46 crew’s second Bathurst podium, following a run to second last year.
The race was won by the No.888 Team GMR Mercedes, which started from the back of the pack and vaulted into the lead at mid-distance courtesy of a well-timed safety car.
Rossi will campaign the GT World Challenge Europe this season as his primary focus, having left the FIA World Endurance Championship after just two years.
2026 Bathurst 12 Hours marred by huge crashes and a kangaroo strike
The 2026 Bathurst 12 Hours began in dramatic fashion in the opening hour, when the HRT Ford Mustang of Chris Mies ran into a kangaroo.
The team later estimated that the kangaroo weighed around 100kg, but fortunately did no damage to Mies.
His race was ended by the strike, however, with the German driver later telling Australian outlet Speedcafe: “It was very unfortunate and it was quite a big one, but, honestly, I’m glad that we have such a safe race car.
“If I can just imagine the whole kangaroo would have come inside [the car]. I mean, half of it was inside, so I’m glad I’m standing here now.
“The issue was, I couldn’t see anything anymore, the windshield was fully smashed. Obviously, I was covered in blood and whatever is inside a kangaroo.
“My eyes were full of blood and the guts from the kangaroo, so I had to clean them first because I had no idea where I was.”
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A piece of the kangaroo did damage to the No.32 WRT car of Rossi’s team-mates, compounding an early scrape with another car that ultimately required a change of nose.
WRT noted in its WhatsApp broadcast channel to the media that it found bits of kangaroo in the damaged nose section.
Numerous incidents took place over the remainder of the race, though the most serious came with around three and a half hours remaining.
A major pile-up at the Forrest’s Elbow section of the course was triggered when the leading No.77 Mercedes slammed unsighted into a stationary Porsche.
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Everyone involved got out of their cars unaided, though Mercedes driver Ralf Aron was later taken to hospital for checks.
The race was red-flagged for a considerable time to clean up the aftermath of the incident.
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