After the setback in Qatar, ‘The Doctor’ strikes back with his first pole position in the WEC and gets the Italian crowd fired up
Valentino Rossi has done it: the motorcycle superstar is on pole position for the first time in his still young WEC career – and at his home race in Imola, no less. But more important than the position itself is how it came about – and what it means for the 45-year-old.
“A fantastic result,” said Rossi, who was visibly relieved after a difficult start in Qatar (eleventh place and no points). “The first lap was canceled because of track limits, but I still had enough time and was able to attack again. Fortunately, it worked out. The car was very strong all weekend.”
Teammate Ahmad Al Harthy had secured a place in Hyperpole with the fastest time in the first qualifying session. Now it was Rossi’s turn to deliver, and that was anything but easy. “The track limits were a nightmare, as many others have said,” laughs Rossi. “But apparently I was pretty good at sticking to them.”
“Pole position in front of our fans – that’s special.”
Rossi emphasizes how important it was to stay focused – especially on a track like Imola, where every mistake is immediately punished: “We talked a lot about the track limits in the morning. It was clear that every centimeter would count. But the car worked well, the tires were right – we just found a good rhythm.”
Take a break and listen to the sounds of Qualifying Day at Imola WEC 6HImola pic. twitter.com/kM5JecVK0G
— FIA World Endurance Championship (@FIAWEC) April 19, 2025
The pole position is particularly emotional because of the location: “Here in Italy, with this crowd – it’s something special. The atmosphere is incredible. I hope even more people come tomorrow and that we can put on a good race. And hopefully it stays dry!” laughs Rossi. That’s not certain, as thunderstorms are forecast for the second half of the race.
Al Harthy: Rossi and van der Linde in his ear
Teammate Al Harthy says of his part in qualifying: “I’m very proud to be here at the press conference. I love these old-school tracks like Imola, and my best lap came while Valentino and Kelvin were giving me tips over the radio,” says the bronze driver about his lap. ‘They invest a lot of time in helping me, and I learn an incredible amount from them.’
The first step has been taken, but Al Harthy warns: ”Pole position is great, but now comes the race. If we get a good start and can confirm our speed, a lot is possible.”
With Rossi in the LMGT3 and Antonio Giovinazzi in the Hypercar class, two Italians will be starting from the front row at their home race in Imola. The cheers were already loud in the stands on Saturday. An even bigger crowd is expected for Easter Sunday. Imola is ready for a real motorsport festival.
