Valentino Rossi’s Promising Run at COTA Ends in Heartbreak as #46 WRT BMW Suffers Late Mechanical Breakdown

Mechanical failure derails Valentino Rossi's COTA WEC race

The #46 WRT BMW encountered technical problems just 15 minutes before the conclusion of the Lone Star Le Mans

The #46 BMW LMGT3 vehicle from WRT, piloted by Valentino Rossi, Ahmad Al Harty, and Maxime Martin, withdrew from the Austin round of the World Endurance Championship with only 15 minutes remaining in the race.

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

During his stint, Al Harty placed the car in a competitive position, and teammates Rossi and Martin continued to uphold that impressive pace.

As the race approached its conclusion, the car, which had been holding a position within the top five, encountered a hydraulics problem with only 15 minutes remaining, necessitating its withdrawal.

"The weekend experienced both positive and negative moments," stated Vincent Vosse, the head of the WRT team.

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

"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."

"From this point on, we must master completing it flawlessly all the way to the finish line."

"However, let's remain optimistic and concentrate on the upcoming race in Fuji, which is scheduled for two weeks from now. The outcome in the LMGT3 category has been underwhelming."

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

"The teams we’re competing against finished ahead of us, causing us to fall further behind the top two leaders. We need to analyze and find ways to enhance our performance at the upcoming event in Fuji."

The #27 Aston Martin from Heart of Racing secured first place in the LMGT3 category at COTA, whereas the other WRT vehicle, #31, ended up in fifth position.

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

Rossi's debut season in the WEC has had its ups and downs, with the #46 car achieving a podium finish at Imola but not managing to repeat this success so far.

As the weekend approached, Rossi believed that his past experience racing at COTA in MotoGP from 2013 to 2021 would be advantageous for him.

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

"You can bring along many items. You're familiar with the track, the routes, the locations of the bumps, and the areas with good traction."

“Certainly, the GT is quite distinct in some ways. You have the flexibility to take various racing lines and make significant shortcuts.”

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

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