Heartbreak for Valentino Rossi: #46 WRT BMW’s Late Breakdown Ends Podium Hopes at Lone Star Le Mans

Valentino Rossi’s COTA WEC race was thwarted by a late mechanical failure

The #46 WRT BMW experienced technical problems just 15 minutes before the conclusion of the Lone Star Le Mans

The Austin World Endurance Championship race saw the #46 WRT BMW LMGT3 car, driven by Valentino Rossi, Ahmad Al Harty, and Maxime Martin, withdraw from the competition just 15 minutes before the finish.

The vehicle marked with MotoGP icon Rossi's well-known #46 moved from 15th position in its category to fifth during the initial phase of last Sunday’s Lone Star Le Mans at the Circuit of the Americas.

Al Harty secured an advantageous spot with his driving, and his teammates Rossi and Martin continued to keep up the impressive speed.

As the race was approaching its end, the car was positioned within the top five, but a hydraulics problem emerged with just 15 minutes remaining, causing it to withdraw from the competition.

"The weekend experienced a mix of high and low points," stated Vincent Vosse, the head of the WRT team.

"Naturally, we are disappointed with the outcome, but there are also several encouraging 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 major positive aspect."

"We need to master doing this flawlessly until the race concludes."

"However, we should stay optimistic and turn our attention to the upcoming race in Fuji, which is scheduled for two weeks from now. The outcome in the LMGT3 category has been less than satisfactory."

"We did our best with car #31. Car #46 experienced a technical problem related to the power steering. We will conduct a thorough investigation to determine what caused the issue."

“Our rivals outperformed us, causing us to lose more points against the top two teams. We need to figure out how to enhance our performance in Fuji.”

The Heart of Racing team's Aston Martin, car number 27, clinched victory in the LMGT3 category at Circuit of the Americas. Meanwhile, the WRT team's other vehicle, car 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, clinched an overall win and secured the highest accolades in the Hypercar category.

In his debut season in the WEC, Rossi has experienced both highs and lows. The #46 car achieved a podium finish at Imola, but has not managed to repeat this success since then.

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

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 over. You understand the track, the lines, and you are aware of the bumps and where there is grip."

"Certainly, when it comes to the GT, it's quite distinct in certain aspects. This is because you have the flexibility to take various paths and create different racing lines."

"Ultimately, the course remains unchanged. Therefore, being familiar with the route while on the bike is quite beneficial."

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