Heartbreak at COTA: Valentino Rossi’s #46 WRT BMW Falls Short in Final Minutes of Lone Star Le Mans

Valentino Rossi’s participation in the COTA WEC race was thwarted by a late mechanical failure. The #46 WRT BMW encountered problems just 15 minutes before the conclusion of the Lone Star Le Mans race.

The #46 WRT BMW LMGT3 vehicle, piloted by Valentino Rossi, Ahmad Al Harty, and Maxime Martin, had to withdraw from the Austin World Endurance Championship race just 15 minutes before the finish.

The vehicle with MotoGP icon Rossi's renowned #46 surged from 15th place to fifth during the initial segment of last Sunday's Lone Star Le Mans at the Circuit of the Americas.

During his stint, Al Harty placed the car in a competitive position, a performance that was upheld by his teammates Rossi and Martin.

As the race neared its end, the car was in the top five when a hydraulic problem arose with just 15 minutes left, causing it to withdraw from the competition.

WRT team principal Vincent Vosse described the weekend as having both positive and negative moments.

“While the end result is disappointing, there are several positive aspects to consider.”

"We were the sole competitors able to match the Ferrari's pace in the Hypercar category during the first half of the race, which was a highly encouraging aspect."

"At this point, we must master the ability to complete the race flawlessly."

"However, we should stay optimistic and look ahead to the upcoming race at Fuji, scheduled for two weeks from now. The outcome in the LMGT3 category has been underwhelming."

"We did our best with vehicle #31. Vehicle #46 experienced a technical malfunction, specifically with the power steering system. We will conduct a more thorough investigation to identify the root cause of the issue."

"Our rivals ended ahead of us, causing us to lose more points to the top two teams. We need to figure out how to get better in Fuji."

The #27 Aston Martin from Heart of Racing clinched the victory in the LMGT3 category at COTA, whereas the #31 car from WRT finished in fifth place.

The #83 AF Corse Ferrari team, featuring former Formula 1 driver Robert Kubica, along with Robert Shwartzman and Yifie Ye, secured an outright win and claimed the highest accolades in the Hypercar category.

Rossi’s debut season in the World Endurance Championship has had its ups and downs. The #46 car managed to secure a podium finish at Imola, but has not been able to achieve similar results since then.

Before the weekend arrived, Rossi believed that his previous experience on the track from his MotoGP days, where he raced at COTA from 2013 to 2021, would be advantageous.

Rossi mentioned to Sportscar365 that he consistently performs at a higher speed and with greater skill on familiar tracks when riding his motorcycle.

"You can bring a lot of things with you. You're familiar with the track, the paths, the locations of the bumps, and where the grip is."

"Certainly, in some aspects, the GT is quite unique. You have the ability to take many shortcuts and choose varied racing lines."

"However, ultimately, the route remains unchanged. Thus, being familiar with the track while riding the bike is a significant advantage."

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