Valentino Rossi’s COTA WEC Dreams Dashed by Late Mechanical Failure: #46 WRT BMW Exits Lone Star Le Mans in Final Minutes

Valentino Rossi’s participation in the COTA WEC race was thwarted by a late mechanical failure. The #46 WRT BMW encountered 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, withdrew from the Austin World Endurance Championship race just 15 minutes before the finish.

The vehicle marked with MotoGP icon Rossi's renowned #46 surged from 15th place to fifth place during the initial phase of last Sunday's Lone Star Le Mans at the Circuit of the Americas.

During his stint, Al Harty placed the car in an advantageous position, a momentum that was upheld by his teammates Rossi and Martin.

As the race was winding down and the car was holding a position within the top five, a hydraulics problem emerged with just 15 minutes remaining, causing it 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 we are disappointed with the outcome, there are still many positives to consider.”

"We were the only team able to match the Ferrari's pace in the Hypercar category during the first half of the race, which was a very encouraging aspect."

“We must now figure out how to perform flawlessly until the race concludes.”

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

"We made our best efforts with vehicle #31. There was a technical problem with vehicle #46, identified as a power steering malfunction, but we'll conduct a more detailed investigation to determine the exact cause."

"The teams we were competing against outperformed us, resulting in a points deficit compared to the top two. We need to assess and find ways to enhance our performance at Fuji."

The Heart of Racing team, driving the #27 Aston Martin, secured victory in the LMGT3 category at COTA. Meanwhile, the other WRT vehicle, car #31, finished in fifth place.

The #83 AF Corse Ferrari, driven by former Formula 1 driver Robert Kubica, Robert Shwartzman, and Yifie Ye, secured an unequivocal win and the highest accolades in the Hypercar category.

Rossi's debut season in the World Endurance Championship has had its ups and downs. The #46 car managed to secure a podium finish at Imola, but has not been able to achieve a similar result since then.

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

Rossi mentioned to Sportscar365 that he consistently performs quicker and more efficiently on familiar tracks when riding his motorcycle.

"Since you can transfer a lot of knowledge. You're familiar with the track, understand the racing lines, and know where the bumps and areas with grip are located."

"From a certain perspective, the GT is definitely distinct. You have the flexibility to take various lines and make significant cuts."

"Ultimately, the course remains unchanged. Therefore, having familiarity with the bike on this track is beneficial."

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