Valentino Rossi’s Promising Run at COTA WEC Ends in Heartbreak with Late Breakdown

Valentino Rossi's participation in the WEC race at COTA was thwarted by a mechanical failure near the conclusion. The #46 WRT BMW encountered problems just 15 minutes before the end of the Lone Star Le Mans event.

The WRT BMW LMGT3 car, marked with the number 46 and driven by Valentino Rossi, Ahmad Al Harty, and Maxime Martin, withdrew from the Austin World Endurance Championship race just 15 minutes before its conclusion.

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

During his stint, Al Harty secured a competitive position for the car, and this momentum was continued by his teammates, Rossi and Martin.

As the race neared its end, the car was positioned within the top five. However, with only 15 minutes remaining, it encountered a hydraulics problem and had to withdraw from the competition.

"The weekend was a mix of positives and negatives," stated Vincent Vosse, the head of the WRT team.

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

"We were the sole team able to match the Ferrari's pace in the Hypercar category during the race's first half, which was quite encouraging."

"At this point, we need to master executing it flawlessly until the race concludes."

"However, let’s stay optimistic and look ahead to the upcoming race in Fuji, which takes place in two weeks. In the LMGT3 category, the outcome has been less than satisfactory."

"We did everything possible with car #31. Car #46 experienced a technical problem, specifically with the power steering. We plan to conduct a thorough investigation to determine the root cause of the issue."

"Our rivals outperformed us, causing us to lose more points to the top two teams. We need to figure out how to get better at Fuji."

The #27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin secured victory in the LMGT3 category at COTA, and the other WRT vehicle, #31, finished in fifth place.

The #83 AF Corse Ferrari, driven by former Formula 1 driver Robert Kubica, Robert Shwartzman, and Yifei Ye, clinched an overall win and secured 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 hasn't been able to achieve the same success since then.

Before the weekend, Rossi believed that his previous experience racing at COTA during his MotoGP career from 2013 to 2021 would be beneficial.

Rossi shared with Sportscar365 that he consistently performs at a higher level on familiar tracks when riding his motorcycle.

"Since you can transfer many things. You understand the track, you are familiar with the lines, and you know where the bumps and the areas with grip are."

"Certainly, the GT varies significantly in certain aspects. You have the ability to take more aggressive cuts and choose alternative lines."

“However, ultimately, the course remains unchanged. Therefore, being familiar with the track while riding the bike is beneficial.”

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