Heartbreak at COTA: Valentino Rossi’s WRT BMW #46 Retires Late in Lone Star Le Mans

Mechanical troubles thwart Valentino Rossi’s COTA WEC race

The #46 WRT BMW encountered technical 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, had to withdraw from the Austin World Endurance Championship race just 15 minutes before it concluded.

The vehicle carrying MotoGP icon Rossi’s iconic #46 surged from 15th place in its category to fifth during the first segment of last Sunday’s Lone Star Le Mans at the Circuit of the Americas.

During his turn behind the wheel, Al Harty positioned the car favorably, and his team-mates Rossi and Martin continued to uphold that impressive speed.

Approaching the final moments and positioned within the top five, the vehicle encountered a hydraulics problem with just a quarter-hour left, leading to its withdrawal from the race.

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

"Naturally, we are disappointed with the end outcome, but there are also 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, and that was a significant advantage."

"We must now master doing it flawlessly until the race concludes."

"However, let's stay optimistic and look ahead to the upcoming race in Fuji, which is happening in two weeks. The outcome in LMGT3 has been less than satisfactory."

"We did our best with vehicle #31. As for vehicle #46, it experienced a technical problem related to the power steering. We plan to conduct a more thorough investigation to determine the root cause of the issue."

"Our rivals ended up ahead of us, causing us to lose more points to the top two teams. We need to figure out how to make adjustments for the Fuji race."

The Aston Martin with car number 27, representing Heart of Racing, secured victory in the LMGT3 category at COTA. Meanwhile, the other car from WRT, numbered 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, clinched outright victory and secured top honors in the Hypercar class.

Rossi's debut season in the WEC has seen both highs and lows; the #46 car achieved a podium finish at Imola but has not been able to do so again up to now.

Before the weekend started, Rossi believed that his previous experience at COTA from his MotoGP career between 2013 and 2021 would be beneficial.

“I am consistently quicker and more skilled on familiar tracks when riding my motorcycle,” Rossi mentioned to Sportscar365.

"You can bring a lot of knowledge with you. You’re familiar with the track, understand the best routes, and are aware of the bumps and grip conditions."

"Certainly, the GT is quite distinct in many ways. You can take numerous shortcuts and create various racing lines."

"In the end, the course doesn't change. Therefore, being familiar with the track while riding the bike is definitely beneficial."

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