Moto GP
Valentino Rossi’s COTA WEC Campaign Derailed by Late Mechanical Failure in Lone Star Le Mans
Mechanical Trouble Ends Valentino Rossi’s COTA WEC Race
The #46 BMW from WRT encountered mechanical problems just 15 minutes before the finish 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 just 15 minutes before it concluded.
In the first segment of last Sunday's Lone Star Le Mans at the Circuit of the Americas, the car with MotoGP legend Rossi's iconic #46 zoomed from 15th place in its class to fifth.
Al Harty secured a solid position for the car during his stint, and his team-mates Rossi and Martin kept up the impressive speed.
With just 15 minutes remaining in the race, the car, which had been maintaining a position within the top five, encountered a hydraulic problem and had to withdraw.
"The weekend was a mix of positive and negative moments," commented Vincent Vosse, the head of the WRT team.
“While we’re disappointed with the outcome, there are still several positives to acknowledge.”
"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 very encouraging sign."
"At this point, we need to master executing it flawlessly all the way to the finish line."
"However, we should remain optimistic and concentrate on the upcoming race scheduled to take place in two weeks at Fuji. The outcome in the LMGT3 category has been underwhelming."
"We did our best with vehicle #31. Car #46 experienced a technical problem, specifically with the power steering. We plan to conduct a more thorough investigation to identify the root cause of this malfunction."
"Our rivals outperformed us, causing us to lose more points to the top two teams. We need to figure out how to get better in Fuji."
The Heart of Racing team, driving car #27, clinched victory in the LMGT3 category at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA). Meanwhile, the other vehicle from the WRT team, car #31, finished
The #83 AF Corse Ferrari, driven by former Formula 1 driver Robert Kubica, along with Robert Shwartzman and Yifie Ye, secured an outright victory and claimed the top spot in the Hypercar class.
Rossi's debut season in the World Endurance Championship has had its ups and downs. While the #46 car managed to secure a podium finish at Imola, it hasn't been able to achieve similar success in subsequent races.
As the weekend approached, Rossi believed that his previous experience riding at COTA during his MotoGP career from 2013 to 2021 would be beneficial.
Rossi mentioned to Sportscar365 that he consistently performs quicker and more efficiently on familiar tracks when riding his motorcycle.
"You can transfer a lot of knowledge. You're familiar with the track, the racing lines, and you know where the bumps and the areas with good grip are."
"However, when it comes to the GT, in certain aspects, it's quite distinct. This is because you have the ability to take more shortcuts and choose alternative paths."
"In the end, the course remains unchanged. Therefore, being familiar with it while riding the bike is definitely beneficial."
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