Valentino Rossi’s COTA WEC Hopes Dashed by Late Mechanical Woes; #46 WRT BMW Retires 15 Minutes from Finish at Lone Star Le Mans

Valentino Rossi's chances in the COTA WEC race were dashed by a late mechanical failure. The #46 WRT BMW encountered 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.

In the initial phase of last Sunday's Lone Star Le Mans at the Circuit of the Americas, the vehicle branded with MotoGP icon Rossi's iconic #46 ascended from 15th position in its category to fifth place.

During that segment, Al Harty placed the car in a favorable spot, and teammates Rossi and Martin continued with consistently strong performance.

As the race was coming to a close with only 15 minutes left, the car, which had been maintaining a position within the top five, encountered a hydraulics problem and had to withdraw.

WRT team leader Vincent Vosse commented that the weekend experienced a mix of positive and negative moments.

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

"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 highlight."

"At this point, we must master how to complete the race flawlessly."

"However, looking on the bright side, we should concentrate on the upcoming race in Fuji, which takes place in two weeks. The outcome in LMGT3 has been less than satisfactory."

"We did our best with vehicle #31. There was a technical problem with vehicle #46, identified as an issue with the power steering. We plan to conduct a thorough investigation to determine the root cause of this malfunction."

“Our competitors outperformed us, resulting in a loss of points to the top two teams once more. We need to determine how we can enhance our performance at Fuji.”

The LMGT3 class at COTA saw the #27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin take first place, while the #31 WRT car finished in fifth position.

The #83 AF Corse Ferrari, driven by former Formula 1 racer Robert Kubica, Robert Shwartzman, and Yifei Ye, secured both the overall victory 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 unable to match that performance in subsequent races.

Before the weekend started, Rossi believed that his past experience on the track from his MotoGP career, spanning from 2013 to 2021 at COTA, would be advantageous for him.

Rossi explained to Sportscar365 that he consistently performs quicker and more effectively on a familiar track with his motorcycle.

"You can bring over a lot of knowledge. You are familiar with the track, understand the racing lines, and know where the bumps and grip points are."

"However, when it comes to the GT, it definitely stands out in certain aspects. You have the ability to take significant shortcuts and create alternative paths."

"In the end, the course remains unchanged, so it's beneficial to be familiar with it while riding the bike."

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