Late Mechanical Failure Dashes Rossi’s Hopes at Lone Star Le Mans

Valentino Rossi's participation in the COTA World Endurance Championship was thwarted due to a mechanical failure

The #46 WRT BMW encountered technical difficulties, forcing it out of the Lone Star Le Mans race with just 15 minutes to go.

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

The vehicle sporting the iconic #46, synonymous with MotoGP star Rossi, surged from 15th to 5th position during the initial phase of last Sunday's Lone Star Le Mans at the Circuit of the Americas.

During that period, Al Harty propelled the car into a competitive stance, a momentum that was sustained by his team members Rossi and Martin.

While positioned among the leading five contenders and approaching the race's end, the vehicle encountered a hydraulics problem with just 15 minutes remaining, leading to its withdrawal from the competition.

"The weekend was a mix of highs and lows," said Vincent Vosse, the team principal of WRT.

"Obviously, the outcome wasn't what we hoped for, but there are still several positives to be gleaned from the experience."

"Among all competitors in the Hypercar category, we managed to match the pace of the Ferrari during the initial half of the race, marking a significant highlight for us."

"Now we must master completing the race flawlessly from start to finish."

"However, let's maintain a positive outlook and concentrate on the upcoming race at Fuji in two weeks. The LMGT3 results have been underwhelming."

We managed the situation as best as we could with car number 31. Unfortunately, car number 46 experienced a technical malfunction, identified preliminarily as a problem with the power steering. Nonetheless, we intend to conduct a thorough investigation to pinpoint the exact reason for this malfunction.

"The teams we were competing against ended up ahead of us, resulting in a loss of points to the two frontrunners. We need to explore ways to enhance our performance for the upcoming race in Fuji."

The Heart of Racing's #27 Aston Martin clinched victory in the LMGT3 category at the Circuit of the Americas, with the sole surviving WRT vehicle, car #31, finishing in fifth place.

The #83 AF Corse Ferrari, driven by former Formula 1 driver Robert Kubica, Robert Shwartzman, and Yifie Ye, clinched the ultimate win and the highest accolades in the Hypercar division.

Rossi's inaugural season in the WEC has experienced varying degrees of success, as the #46 vehicle achieved a podium finish at Imola but has not managed to achieve similar results subsequently.

As the weekend approached, Rossi believed that his previous experience racing at COTA from 2013 to 2021 during his MotoGP career would be beneficial.

"Rossi shared with Sportscar365, expressing confidence in his speed and skill on familiar racetracks when riding a motorcycle."

"Since you're able to transport numerous items. You're familiar with the track, the paths, and the locations of bumps, traction, and all that comes with it."

"Certainly, when viewed from certain perspectives, the GT stands out as quite unique. This is because it allows for a great deal of flexibility in navigation, offering the ability to take various paths."

"However, ultimately, the circuit remains unchanged. Therefore, having familiarity with the track while biking offers a significant benefit."

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