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

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

The WRT BMW LMGT3 car, numbered 46 and piloted by Valentino Rossi, Ahmad Al Harty, and Maxime Martin, had to withdraw from the Austin World Endurance Championship race with only 15 minutes remaining.

Last Sunday at the Lone Star Le Mans held at the Circuit of the Americas, the car emblazoned with MotoGP icon Rossi’s renowned #46 surged from 15th position in its class to reach fifth place during the initial segment of the race.

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

As the race was drawing 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.

"The weekend experienced a mix of positive and negative moments," stated Vincent Vosse, the boss of the WRT team.

"Naturally, we're 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 a huge plus."

"At this point, we need to master the process and avoid errors until the race concludes."

"However, we should remain optimistic and look ahead to the upcoming race in Fuji, which will take place 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 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 teams. We need to figure out how to enhance our performance at Fuji."

The Heart of Racing team, driving car number 27, claimed victory in the LMGT3 category at COTA. Meanwhile, the WRT team's other vehicle, number 31, finished in fifth place.

The #83 AF Corse Ferrari, driven by former Formula 1 racer Robert Kubica, Robert Shwartzman, and Yifie Ye, clinched an overall win and first place 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 in subsequent races.

As the weekend approached, Rossi believed that his past experience on the COTA track, which he raced on from 2013 to 2021 in MotoGP, would benefit him.

Rossi mentioned to Sportscar365 that he's consistently quicker and performs better on a track he is familiar with when riding his motorcycle.

"You can transfer a lot of knowledge. You're familiar with the track, the optimal paths, and you know where the bumps and grip points are."

"Certainly, when it comes to the GT, it's quite distinct in several ways. You can take many shortcuts and create alternative paths."

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

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