Valentino Rossi’s Promising Run at COTA Ended by Late Mechanical Woes in WEC Race

Valentino Rossi's COTA WEC race was thwarted by a last-minute mechanical failure. The #46 WRT BMW experienced 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 vehicle emblazoned with 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, and his teammates Rossi and Martin continued to uphold that impressive speed.

As the race was approaching its conclusion, the car, which had been maintaining a position within the top five, experienced a hydraulics problem with just 15 minutes remaining and had to withdraw.

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

"Naturally, we are disappointed with the outcome, but there are also several positive aspects to consider."

"We were the sole competitors able to match the Ferrari's performance in the Hypercar category during the initial half of the race, which was highly encouraging."

"We need to figure out how to complete the race flawlessly."

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

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

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

The Heart of Racing's Aston Martin, car number 27, secured the victory in the LMGT3 category at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA). Meanwhile, the other WRT vehicle, marked as car number 31

The #83 AF Corse Ferrari, driven by former Formula 1 driver Robert Kubica, Robert Shwartzman, and Yifei Ye, secured an outright win and first place in the Hypercar category.

Rossi's debut season in the WEC 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 success in subsequent races.

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

“I’m consistently quicker and more proficient on familiar tracks with my motorcycle,” Rossi mentioned to Sportscar365.

"You can bring a lot of knowledge with you. You are familiar with the track, the optimal racing lines, the locations of bumps, and where the grip is best."

“Absolutely, the GT is quite distinct in certain aspects. You have the flexibility to take various lines and make significant cuts.”

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

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