Valentino Rossi failed to repeat last year’s podium finish at Brands Hatch as 18,000 fans watched him race in Kent for the third time.

The MotoGP legend, 45, was forced to retire from the second GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup race on Sunday as steering issues hit his BMW M4 GT3.

Sharing with Belgian Maxime Martin, the Team WRT-run pair finished seventh in the first race but a five-second penalty for speeding in the pitlane dropped them to 15th.

Rossi is concentrating on the World Endurance Championship and GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup this season as he continues his transition from bikes to cars.

But he chose the Brands Hatch event as the first of just two outings in the Sprint Cup this year, delighting hordes of fans wearing his signature fluorescent yellow.

"We came back to Brands Hatch as it's here that I got my first podium with the BMW M4 but this time it was more difficult," the Italian hero said.

"Unfortunately, I had a problem with the steering in the second race, where I had to retire, and we also had a penalty for speeding in the pitlane in race one.

"We suffered more than we expected but it was still a pleasure to race here."

Rossi was running in eighth in the second race with six minutes remaining when the steering issue forced him through the gravel trap at Paddock Hill Bend.

He rejoined, dragging grass onto the circuit, but retired at the end of the lap.

Sam de Haan - the youngest son of former Saga boss Sir Roger - joined Rossi in the Team WRT garage, sharing a BMW M4 GT3 with Calan Williams.

The Harbledown-based racer, who won the International GT Open title last year, scored two podiums in the Silver Cup class.

"Overall a good first weekend," De Haan said.

"Calan’s pace is great, the team is fantastic, we executed everything we could to finish with two podiums, which is also great. But next time on the top spot."

Dries Vanthoor and Charles Weerts, also driving for Team WRT, won the first race, before Maro Engel and Lucas Auer (Mercedes-AMG GT3) took a comfortable victory in the second.

Organisers say 18,000 spectators attended the event, which marked the 10th anniversary of the series’ first visit to the county.

Brands Hatch will host the second round of the British Touring Car Championship this weekend.