Valentino Rossi’s COTA WEC Hopes Dashed by Late Mechanical Issues: A Heartbreaking Finish for the #46 WRT BMW

Valentino Rossi’s participation in the COTA WEC race was thwarted by a last-minute mechanical failure. The #46 WRT BMW encountered technical problems just 15 minutes before the conclusion of the Lone Star Le Mans.

The #46 WRT BMW LMGT3 vehicle, with Valentino Rossi, Ahmad Al Harty, and Maxime Martin at the wheel, had to retire just 15 minutes before the conclusion of the Austin World Endurance Championship race.

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

During his stint, Al Harty positioned the car well, with teammates Rossi and Martin continuing to uphold that impressive speed.

As the race was coming to a close and the car was positioned within the top five, a hydraulics problem emerged with just 15 minutes remaining, causing it to withdraw from the competition.

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

“While we are disappointed with the outcome, there are still several positive aspects to acknowledge.”

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

"We must figure out how to execute perfectly all the way to the finish line."

"However, let’s stay optimistic and concentrate on the upcoming race in Fuji, which will take place in two weeks. The outcome in LMGT3 has been disheartening."

"We did our best with vehicle #31. We experienced a technical issue with vehicle #46, specifically a problem with the power steering. We plan to investigate further to determine the root cause of the malfunction."

"Our rivals outperformed us, causing us to lose more points to the top two teams. We need to figure out how to improve our performance in Fuji."

The LMGT3 category at COTA was claimed by the #27 Aston Martin from Heart of Racing, with the #31 WRT car finishing 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 first place 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 in subsequent races.

As the weekend approached, Rossi believed that his previous experience at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA), where he competed in MotoGP from 2013 to 2021, would be advantageous.

“I am consistently quicker and more proficient on familiar tracks when riding the motorcycle,” Rossi mentioned to Sportscar365.

"You can transfer a lot of knowledge. You understand the track, the optimal racing lines, and you're familiar with where the bumps are and where the grip is."

"Certainly, the GT is unique in some aspects. You have more flexibility with cutting and can take various lines."

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

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