Valentino Rossi is self-quarantined: he will not attend the Gulf 12 Hours

Valentino Rossi will not attend the Gulf 12 Hours, scheduled on Saturday, January 8. The 9-time World Champion had a contact with a person positive to Covid-19 so is self-quarantined.

Luca Marini and Alessio “Uccio” Salucci are still confirmed and they will regularly race the Abu Dhabi endurance together with David Fumanelli on the Ferrari 488 GT3 #46. The Gulf 12 Hours, one of the most important automotive events in the Middle East since 2012, will be held at the Yas Marina Circuit — after the parenthesis of last year at Sakhir’s Bahrain International Racetrack.

Thursday, January 6, there will be two Open Practice Test (09:45-12.30 e 16.45-19.45). Friday, January 7, three Free Practice sessions of 50 minutes each (09.30-10.20, 10.30-11.20 e 11.30-12.20) will anticipate the official Qualifying of 15 min each (18.00-18-15, 18.25-18.40 e 18.50-19.05) for the grid. Saturday, the race — FIA GT3 and GT4 categories admitted only — will consist of two parts, each 6 hours’ duration, split by a 3 hour break during which the teams will be allowed to work on their cars.

The format switches the race focus from reliability to strategy and pace: drivers can chase the win pushing their cars to the outright limit, the best premise for an exciting race. In pure endurance fashion, the second half of the event embraces both day and night