It’s the fourth consecutive year Rossi has contested the event with BMW, but the autograph lines filled with fans clad in his famous #46 show the enduring pulling power of the motorcycle legend.

Rossi’s Bathurst bid is no novelty act, though.

Switching to GT racing after his retirement from bikes at the end of 2021, he finished second at Bathurst last year with Team WRT and should again be among the contenders for victory on Sunday.

Now a family man with two young daughters, Rossi is back at Bathurst despite making a decision to wind back his travel commitments this season.

He’s swapped a World Endurance Championship program for GT World Challenge Europe to avoid the long-haul races and lengthy testing commitments.

So why does he keep coming back to Bathurst?

“The track is really unique, it’s a special track,” he said.

“It’s a track that is very good for the GT3 because it’s the right size and is very fast and very demanding to drive, but when you drive the car, you enjoy very much.

“Also, I’m very happy to come at least one time every year in Australia because I have a lot of friends, a lot of memory, a lot of fun, a good support here.

“It’s the beginning of the season and it was in my wish list when I start to race with the cars, because this track is very famous in Europe, especially if you drive with a simulator.

“So when I speak with [Team WRT boss] Vincent [Vosse], I say, we have to go to race in Bathurst!”

Rossi said the allure of the WEC was the chance to become a world champion in cars, as well as bikes.

The travel, though, wasn’t the only reason he’s made his 2026 shift.

“I like to race [against] just GT3,” he said. “When you have to race with the Hypercar and the multi-class races like Le Mans, it’s not the same.”

Rossi’s trip to Australia includes his 47th birthday on Monday.

That means he’ll be bidding for Bathurst glory on his last day as a 46-year-old – that number you can’t escape from, anywhere Rossi goes.

“It can be the best gift for sure,” he said of a potential victory.

“Last year we finished second and for sure, a win is another story. We will try, but you know it’s difficult to say because in a race like this of 12 hours, everything can happen.

“So I’m already happy if we can make a race where we fight for the victory and if we win, it can be special.”

Rossi’s #46 BMW will start the Bathurst 12 Hour from seventh on the grid.