Heartbreak at COTA: Valentino Rossi’s WEC Podium Hopes Dashed by Late Mechanical Failure

Valentino Rossi's race at the COTA WEC was thwarted by a last-minute mechanical failure. The #46 WRT BMW encountered problems just 15 minutes before the conclusion of the Lone Star Le Mans.

The #46 WRT BMW LMGT3 vehicle, piloted by Valentino Rossi, Ahmad Al Harty, and Maxime Martin, withdrew from the Austin World Endurance Championship race with just 15 minutes remaining.

During the initial phase of last Sunday’s Lone Star Le Mans at the Circuit of the Americas, the car with MotoGP icon Rossi’s well-known #46 surged from 15th place in its category to fifth place.

During that segment, Al Harty positioned the car advantageously, and his teammates Rossi and Martin kept up the fast pace.

As the race drew to a close, with only 15 minutes remaining, the car, which was in the top five, encountered a hydraulics problem and had to withdraw.

WRT team principal Vincent Vosse remarked that the weekend was a mixed bag of positives and negatives.

“Although we’re disappointed with the outcome, there are several positive aspects we can acknowledge.”

“We were the sole team able to match the Ferrari’s pace in the Hypercar category during the race's first half, which was a highly encouraging aspect.”

"We must figure out how to perform flawlessly until the race concludes."

"However, let's stay optimistic and turn our attention to the upcoming race in two weeks at Fuji. The LMGT3 category, unfortunately, did not yield favorable outcomes."

"We did our best with car #31. Car #46 experienced a technical problem, specifically with the power steering. We will conduct a thorough investigation to determine the root cause of the issue."

"Our rivals outperformed us, causing us to lose points to the top two teams. We need to figure out how we can make improvements for the Fuji race."

The Aston Martin with number 27 from the Heart of Racing team claimed victory in the LMGT3 category at COTA, while the WRT team’s other car, carrying the number 31, finished in fifth place.

The #83 AF Corse Ferrari, driven by former Formula 1 driver Robert Kubica, along with Robert Shwartzman and Yifei Ye, secured an outright win and earned the highest accolades in the Hypercar class.

Rossi's debut season in the WEC has had its ups and downs, with the #46 car achieving a podium finish at Imola but not managing to repeat this success in subsequent races.

As the weekend approached, Rossi believed that his past experience racing on the COTA track during his MotoGP career from 2013 to 2021 would be advantageous.

Rossi mentioned to Sportscar365 that he consistently performs quicker and more efficiently on a track he is familiar with when riding his motorcycle.

"Since you’re familiar with the track, you can bring a lot of knowledge with you. You understand the paths, the bumps, and where the grip is."

“However, regarding the GT, it’s definitely distinct in certain aspects. You have the ability to cut corners significantly and take various racing lines."

"However, ultimately, the course remains unchanged. Therefore, being familiar with the course while riding the bike is beneficial."

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