Valentino Rossi’s COTA WEC Hopes Dashed by Late Breakdown: #46 WRT BMW Suffers Heartbreaking Power Steering Failure

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

The #46 WRT BMW LMGT3, piloted by Valentino Rossi, Ahmad Al Harty, and Maxime Martin, withdrew from the Austin World Endurance Championship race just 15 minutes before it finished.

In the opening phase of last Sunday’s Lone Star Le Mans at the Circuit of the Americas, the car featuring MotoGP icon Rossi’s renowned #46 made an impressive leap from 15th place in its category to fifth.

During his stint, Al Harty positioned the car well, and his teammates Rossi and Martin continued to uphold that fast pace.

Just 15 minutes before the race ended, the car, which was in the top five, encountered a hydraulics problem and had to drop out.

"The weekend experienced both positive and negative moments," stated Vincent Vosse, head of the WRT team.

"Naturally, we're disappointed with the outcome, but there are several positive aspects to consider as well."

"We were the sole competitors able to match the Ferrari's pace in the Hypercar category during the first part of the race, which was a significant achievement."

"Now, we must master the process to avoid errors all the way to the finish line."

"However, let's remain optimistic and concentrate on the upcoming race at Fuji in two weeks. The outcome in the LMGT3 category has been underwhelming."

"We did our best with car #31. Car #46 experienced a technical problem, specifically with the power steering. We will conduct a thorough investigation to determine the exact cause of the issue."

“Our rivals outperformed us, resulting in a loss of points to the leading teams once more. We need to assess how we can enhance our performance in Fuji.”

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

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

Rossi's debut season in the WEC has seen varied results, with the #46 car achieving a podium finish at Imola but not managing to repeat this success afterward.

As the weekend approached, Rossi believed that his previous experience riding on the COTA track during his MotoGP years from 2013 to 2021 would be advantageous.

Rossi mentioned to Sportscar365 that he consistently performs quicker and more proficiently on a motorcycle when he's familiar with the track.

"Since you are familiar with the track, you can handle many aspects. You know the routes, the bumps, the grip, and all the details."

“Certainly, the GT is quite distinct in several aspects. You have the ability to take shortcuts and create various racing lines.”

"Ultimately, the course remains unchanged. Therefore, being familiar with the course while on the bike is advantageous."

Explore Further

Recent Updates

Recent Updates

Website Map

Crash.Net

©1999-2024 Crash Media Group

It is prohibited to reproduce any part or the entirety of the text, photos, or illustrations in any manner.