Valentino Rossi’s COTA WEC Hopes Dashed by Late Mechanical Failure in Lone Star Le Mans

Valentino Rossi's race at the Circuit of the Americas for the World Endurance Championship was thwarted by a late mechanical failure. The #46 BMW from WRT encountered technical problems just 15 minutes before the conclusion of the Lone Star Le Mans event.

The #46 WRT BMW LMGT3 vehicle, 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.

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

During Al Harty's stint, he positioned the car favorably, and his teammates Rossi and Martin continued to uphold that impressive speed.

As the race was drawing to a close, the car, which had been in the top five, encountered a hydraulics problem with just 15 minutes remaining and had to drop out.

"The weekend experienced a mix of positives and negatives," stated Vincent Vosse, the head of the WRT team.

“Certainly, we are dissatisfied with the outcome, but there are also several encouraging aspects to consider.”

"For the first half of the race, we were the sole competitors able to match the Ferrari [in Hypercar], which was a highly encouraging aspect."

“We must now master this skill and execute it flawlessly until the race concludes.”

"However, let's stay optimistic and turn our attention to the upcoming race at Fuji in two weeks. The outcome in the LMGT3 category has been less than satisfactory."

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

"Our rivals ended up ahead of us, resulting in us losing more points to the top two competitors. We need to figure out how to perform better in Fuji."

The Heart of Racing team’s Aston Martin, numbered 27, clinched victory in the LMGT3 category at the Circuit of the Americas. Meanwhile, the other WRT team's car, numbered 31, finished in fifth place

The #83 AF Corse Ferrari team, featuring former Formula 1 driver Robert Kubica, along with Robert Shwartzman and Yifei Ye, clinched a decisive win and secured the highest accolades in the Hypercar category.

Rossi's debut season in the WEC has seen varied results; while the #46 car managed to secure a podium finish at Imola, it hasn't been able to achieve similar success in subsequent races.

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

Rossi explained to Sportscar365 that he consistently performs quicker and more efficiently on tracks that he is familiar with while riding his motorcycle.

"You can bring a lot of knowledge with you. You’re familiar with the track, the racing lines, and you know where the bumps and areas with good grip are."

"Certainly, when it comes to the GT, it stands out in many ways. You have the ability to cut corners significantly and take alternative racing lines."

"Ultimately, the course remains unchanged. Therefore, being familiar with it on the bike is a significant benefit."

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