Moto GP
Valentino Rossi’s #46 WRT BMW Crippled by Late Breakdown in COTA WEC Race, Denying Lone Star Le Mans Glory
Valentino Rossi's WEC race at COTA was thwarted by a late mechanical failure. The #46 BMW from WRT experienced issues 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.
The vehicle sporting MotoGP icon Rossi's well-known #46 surged from 15th position to 5th during the initial segment of last Sunday’s Lone Star Le Mans held at the Circuit of the Americas.
Al Harty secured a competitive spot with his driving, a performance that was consistently upheld by his teammates Rossi and Martin.
As the race was drawing to a close, the vehicle was positioned within the top five. However, with just 15 minutes remaining, a hydraulics problem emerged, compelling the team to withdraw from the competition.
"The weekend experienced a mix of positive and negative moments," stated Vincent Vosse, the head of the WRT team.
"While the outcome is not what we hoped for, there are still several positive aspects to acknowledge."
"We were the sole competitors able to match the Ferrari's pace in the Hypercar category during the race's first half, which was a significant achievement."
"We must now master the process and carry it through to the end of the race flawlessly."
"However, let's stay optimistic and concentrate on the upcoming race in Fuji, which is happening in two weeks. The outcome in LMGT3 was not what we had hoped for."
"We did our best with car #31. Car #46 experienced a technical problem, specifically with the power steering. We will conduct a more thorough investigation to determine the exact cause of the issue."
"Our rivals ended up ahead of us, causing us to lose more points to the top two. We need to figure out how to get better in Fuji."
The #27 Aston Martin from the Heart of Racing team secured a victory in the LMGT3 category at the Circuit of The Americas (COTA), whereas the #31 car from the WRT team finished in fifth place.
The #83 AF Corse Ferrari, driven by former Formula 1 driver Robert Kubica, along with Robert Shwartzman and Yifie Ye, clinched both an outright win and first place in the Hypercar category.
In his debut season in the WEC, Rossi experienced both highs and lows. The #46 car achieved a podium finish at Imola, but has not managed to repeat this success in subsequent races.
Before the weekend, Rossi believed that his previous experience at the COTA track, where he competed in MotoGP from 2013 to 2021, would be advantageous for him.
Rossi mentioned to Sportscar365 that he consistently performs quicker and more efficiently on the motorcycle when he is familiar with the track.
"You can transfer a lot of knowledge. You are familiar with the track, understand the racing lines, and know where the bumps and grip areas are located."
“Certainly, the GT is quite distinct in some respects. You have the ability to take a lot of shortcuts and create various paths.”
"Ultimately, the track remains unchanged. Therefore, being familiar with the track when riding the bike is beneficial."
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