Former MotoGP star Valentino Rossi and fellow BMW factory driver Charles Wierts will take part in the FIA World Endurance Championship rookie test in Bahrain on Sunday.
The pair will be behind the wheel of the Oreca 07 Gibson operated by Team WRT, completing their first laps in an LMP2 machine the day after the eight-hour WEC season finale.
Rossi, a nine-time Grand Prix winner and motorcycle racing world champion, drove a WRT-powered BMW M4 GT3 this year in the AWS-powered Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe, Bathurst 12 Hour Race, and Road Tour Mans.
He took his first outright victory in sports car racing at the Fanatec GT Sprint Cup round at Misano and also won the second Road to Le Mans race at the Circuit de la Sarthe.
The Italian has never raced in WEC before, but has previously announced his intention to compete in the Le Mans 24 Hours next year in WRT, in the new LMGT3 class.
Meanwhile, Werz won three Fanatec GT Sprint Cup titles with WRT during the Belgian team’s long-standing partnership with Audi.
The Belgian driver became part of BMW’s factory squad this year when WRT switched to Munich-based BMW manufacturer.
The WEC last week announced a provisional list of new test drivers. Notably, IMSA GTD Pro champions Jack Hawksworth and Ben Barnicoat will test drive the Toyota GR010 Hybrid, while Lilloo Wadu and Robert Schwartzman will switch to the Ferrari 499P.