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

Valentino Rossi’s participation in the COTA WEC race was thwarted by a late mechanical failure. The #46 BMW from the WRT team encountered technical 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 with just 15 minutes remaining.

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

Al Harty secured a competitive spot for the car during his stint, with Rossi and Martin keeping up the impressive speed.

While maintaining a position within the top five as the race neared its end, the vehicle encountered a hydraulics problem with just 15 minutes remaining and had to withdraw.

WRT team leader Vincent Vosse commented that the weekend experienced both positive and negative moments.

"While we are disappointed with the outcome, there are several positive aspects to consider."

"In the first half of the race, we were the sole team able to match the Ferrari's performance in the Hypercar category, which was a highly encouraging outcome."

"Now we need to master doing this flawlessly until the race is over."

"However, we should remain optimistic and look ahead to the upcoming race in Fuji, scheduled for two weeks from now. The outcome in LMGT3 has not met expectations."

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

"Our rivals ended up ahead of us, causing us to lose more points to the top two contenders. We need to evaluate how we can perform better in Fuji."

The Heart of Racing team's Aston Martin, car number 27, secured victory in the LMGT3 category at COTA, whereas the last WRT vehicle, car number 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 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 similar results in subsequent races.

As the weekend approached, Rossi believed that his previous experience racing at COTA during his MotoGP career from 2013 to 2021 would be advantageous.

Rossi mentioned to Sportscar365 that he consistently performs at a higher speed and with improved skill on tracks he's familiar with while riding his motorcycle.

"You can bring a lot with you. You are familiar with the track, the lines, the locations of the bumps, and the areas with good grip."

“Certainly, the GT is quite unique in certain aspects. It allows for significant cutting and the creation of varied lines.”

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

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