Valentino Rossi’s COTA WEC Hopes Dashed by Last-Minute Mechanical Failure

Valentino Rossi's participation in the COTA WEC race was thwarted by a last-minute 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, had to pull out of the Austin World Endurance Championship race with just 15 minutes remaining.

During the opening stint of last Sunday's Lone Star Le Mans at the Circuit of the Americas, the car with MotoGP legend Rossi's iconic #46 moved up from 15th place in its class to fifth place.

During his turn behind the wheel, Al Harty placed the car in a favorable position, a performance that was upheld by his teammates Rossi and Martin.

With just 15 minutes left in the race and while holding a position within the top five, the car encountered a hydraulics problem and had to withdraw.

"The weekend experienced its share of highs and lows," stated Vincent Vosse, the head of the WRT team.

"Naturally, we're 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 class for the first portion of the race, which was a significant positive."

"Now we must master doing it flawlessly until the race concludes."

"However, let's maintain a positive outlook and concentrate on the upcoming race in Fuji, which is scheduled for two weeks from now. The outcome in LMGT3 has been less than satisfactory."

"We did everything possible 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."

"The teams we competed against ended up ahead, causing us to lose more points to the top two leaders. We need to assess how we can perform better in Fuji."

The Aston Martin #27 from Heart of Racing clinched victory in the LMGT3 category at COTA, whereas the #31 car from WRT secured the fifth position.

The #83 AF Corse Ferrari, driven by former Formula 1 driver Robert Kubica, Robert Shwartzman, and Yifei Ye, secured an overall win and first place in the Hypercar category.

Rossi's debut season in the WEC 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 anticipated that his experience from his MotoGP days, during which he raced at COTA from 2013 to 2021, would be advantageous for him.

In an interview with Sportscar365, Rossi mentioned that he consistently performs quicker and more effectively on a track he is familiar with when riding his motorcycle.

“You can transfer a lot of knowledge. You’re familiar with the track, the racing lines, the locations of bumps, and where the grip is.”

"Certainly, when it comes to the GT, it's quite unique in some respects. You have the ability to cut corners significantly and take alternative racing lines."

"In the end, the course remains unchanged. Therefore, being familiar with the course while on the bike is beneficial."

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