Heartbreak at COTA: Valentino Rossi’s #46 WRT BMW Succumbs to Late Mechanical Failure in Lone Star Le Mans

Valentino Rossi's race at the Circuit of the Americas for the World Endurance Championship was disrupted by a mechanical failure. The #46 WRT BMW encountered problems just 15 minutes before the conclusion of the Lone Star Le Mans event.

The #46 WRT BMW LMGT3 vehicle, piloted by Valentino Rossi, Ahmad Al Harty, and Maxime Martin, had to pull out of the Austin World Endurance Championship race just 15 minutes before it was set to conclude.

In the first segment of last Sunday’s Lone Star Le Mans at the Circuit of the Americas, the vehicle marked with MotoGP icon Rossi's renowned #46 impressively advanced from 15th to fifth place in its category.

Al Harty positioned the car well during his stint, and teammates Rossi and Martin kept up the fast pace.

As the race was approaching its end and the car was holding a position within the top five, a hydraulic problem emerged with just 15 minutes remaining, leading to its withdrawal from the competition.

“The weekend experienced a mix of positive and negative moments,” stated Vincent Vosse, the head of the WRT team.

"Naturally, we're disappointed with the outcome, but there are also several positive aspects to consider."

“We were the sole competitors who managed to match the Ferrari's performance in the Hypercar category during the first half of the race, which was a highly encouraging aspect.

"At this point, we need to master performing it flawlessly until the race concludes."

"However, let's stay optimistic and look forward to the upcoming race in Fuji that's happening in two weeks. The outcome in the LMGT3 category has been disheartening."

"We did our best with vehicle #31. Vehicle #46 experienced a malfunction, specifically with the power steering, and we plan to conduct a thorough investigation to determine the root cause."

"Our rivals ended up ahead of us, causing us to lose more points to the leading two teams. We need to figure out how to improve our performance in Fuji."

At the Circuit of the Americas (COTA), the #27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin clinched victory in the LMGT3 class, whereas the #31 WRT vehicle finished in fifth place.

The #83 AF Corse Ferrari, driven by former Formula 1 driver Robert Kubica, Robert Shwartzman, and Yifei Ye, secured an outright victory and the top spot in the Hypercar class.

Rossi's debut season in the WEC has seen varied results. While the #46 car managed to secure a podium finish at Imola, it has not been able to achieve similar success in subsequent races.

Leading up to the weekend, Rossi believed that his previous experience racing at COTA in MotoGP from 2013 to 2021 would be beneficial for him.

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

“You're able to bring along a lot of knowledge. You’re familiar with the track, the racing lines, where the bumps are, and where you can find the grip and everything else.”

"Certainly, the GT is quite distinct in some respects. You have the flexibility to take various lines and make significant cuts."

“Ultimately, the course remains unchanged. Therefore, being familiar with the course while riding the bike is beneficial.”

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