Valentino Rossi’s COTA WEC Hopes Dashed by Late Mechanical Woes: #46 WRT BMW Retires 15 Minutes from Finish

Valentino Rossi’s WEC race at COTA was thwarted by a late mechanical failure

Just 15 minutes before the end of the Lone Star Le Mans, the #46 BMW from WRT encountered mechanical problems

Valentino Rossi, Ahmad Al Harty, and Maxime Martin, driving the #46 WRT BMW LMGT3, had to retire from the Austin World Endurance Championship race just 15 minutes before it ended.

The vehicle with MotoGP icon Rossi’s well-known #46 soared from 15th place in its category to fifth during the initial segment of last Sunday’s Lone Star Le Mans at the Circuit of the Americas.

During his stint, Al Harty secured a solid position for the car, and his teammates Rossi and Martin continued to uphold that impressive speed.

Competing among the leading five with the end in sight, the car encountered a hydraulics problem with 15 minutes remaining and had to withdraw.

WRT team principal Vincent Vosse remarked that the weekend was a mix of positives and negatives.

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

"We were the sole competitors able to match the Ferrari in the Hypercar class during the race's first half, which was a highly encouraging aspect."

"At this point, it's essential that we master this skill and execute it flawlessly through to the conclusion of the race."

"However, let's stay optimistic and look ahead to the upcoming race in Fuji happening in two weeks. The outcome in LMGT3 has been unsatisfactory."

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

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

The #27 Aston Martin from Heart of Racing secured a victory in the LMGT3 category at COTA, while the other WRT vehicle, #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 a decisive win and the highest accolades in the Hypercar category.

Rossi’s inaugural season in the World Endurance Championship has had its ups and downs. Although the #46 car secured a podium finish at Imola, it has not managed to achieve similar results in subsequent races.

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

"I am consistently quicker and more proficient on a track I'm familiar with when riding the motorcycle," Rossi explained to Sportscar365.

"You are able to transfer a lot of knowledge. You are familiar with the track, understand the optimal paths, and know the locations of bumps and areas with good grip."

"Certainly, when it comes to the GT, it's quite distinct in some respects. You can take many shortcuts and create various paths."

"Ultimately, the course remains unchanged. Therefore, having familiarity with the track while riding the bike is quite beneficial."

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