Valentino Rossi had a bad weekend at GT World Challenge Europe

Valentino Rossi had a forgettable weekend at the GT World Challenge Europe, competing in two sprint races.

Rossi and his colleague Frederic Vervisch finished 15th on Saturday and 16th on Sunday, but the experience was a humbling one for the motorcycle racing icon.

This weekend’s racing in Zandvoort, the Netherlands, marked the midway point in Rossi’s first four-wheel championship since retiring from MotoGP.

The Italian wrecked in practice on Friday, forcing him and Vervisch to exchange their Team WRT Audi in Rossi’s signature yellow paint for a green replacement.

Rossi, now 43, showed indications of progress in the weekend’s opening sprint race with a clever inside move on Chris Froggatt’s Mercedes after sneaking up on him.

Rossi later spun, and they finished +21.753 seconds behind Team WRT teammates Charles Weerts and Dries Vanthoor.

In 16th position, Rossi and Vervisch were +23.857 seconds behind the race 2 winners, Mercedes’ Timur Boguslavskiy and Raffaele Marciello.

Rossi will take the wheel again next week, on the 21st and 22nd of June, for a test day ahead of the 24 Hours of Spa.

At the GT World Challenge Europe, his next event will be held in Misano, Italy, from July 1-3.