Valentino Rossi’s COTA WEC Hopes Dashed by Late Breakdown: #46 WRT BMW Forced to Retire 15 Minutes from Finish

Valentino Rossi's participation in the WEC race at COTA was thwarted by a late mechanical failure. The #46 BMW from WRT encountered problems just 15 minutes before the conclusion of the Lone Star Le Mans.

The WRT BMW LMGT3 car with the number 46, piloted by Valentino Rossi, Ahmad Al Harty, and Maxime Martin, had to withdraw from the Austin World Endurance Championship race just 15 minutes before it concluded.

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

Al Harty positioned the car advantageously during his stint, and teammates Rossi and Martin kept up the fast pace.

As the race was coming to an end, the car, which was among the top five, experienced a hydraulics problem with just 15 minutes remaining and had to withdraw from the competition.

“The weekend had its highs and lows,” stated Vincent Vosse, the head of the WRT team.

"While the final outcome is disappointing, there are several positive aspects to consider."

"We were the sole competitors who managed to maintain pace with the Ferrari in the Hypercar category during the first half of the race, which was a significant achievement."

"We need to figure out how to perform flawlessly until the race is over."

"Let's stay optimistic and look ahead to the next race happening in two weeks at Fuji. The performance in LMGT3 has been underwhelming."

"We did everything possible with car #31. Car #46 experienced a technical malfunction, specifically with the power steering. We will conduct a thorough investigation to determine what caused the issue."

"Our competitors outperformed us, causing us to lose more points to the top two teams. We need to evaluate how we can enhance our performance in Fuji."

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

The #83 AF Corse Ferrari, driven by former Formula 1 driver Robert Kubica along with Robert Shwartzman and Yifei Ye, clinched both the overall win and the highest accolades in the Hypercar category.

Rossi's debut season in the World Endurance Championship has had its ups and downs, with the #46 car achieving a podium finish at Imola but not managing to repeat this success thus far.

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

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

"You can bring a lot of experience with you. You are familiar with the track, the optimal racing lines, the locations of the bumps, and where there's grip."

"Certainly, when it comes to the GT, it's quite distinct in some respects. You can take many shortcuts and create various pathways."

"Ultimately, the course remains unchanged. Hence, being familiar with it while riding the bike is beneficial."

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