Valentino Rossi’s WEC Hopes Dashed by Late Breakdown: #46 WRT BMW Falters 15 Minutes from Lone Star Le Mans Finish

Mechanical Failure Thwarts 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 WRT BMW LMGT3 vehicle, piloted by Valentino Rossi, Ahmad Al Harty, and Maxime Martin, withdrew from the Austin World Endurance Championship race just 15 minutes before it concluded.

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

During that segment, Al Harty placed the car in an advantageous position, and teammates Rossi and Martin kept up the impressive speed.

While the car was positioned within the top five approaching the end of the race, a hydraulics problem emerged with just 15 minutes remaining, necessitating its withdrawal.

"The weekend experienced a mix of positive and negative moments," 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 competitors able to match the Ferrari's pace in the Hypercar category during the race's first half, which was a significant highlight."

"At this point, we must master completing the race flawlessly."

"However, we should remain optimistic and look ahead to the upcoming race at Fuji in two weeks. The outcome in the LMGT3 category has been less than satisfactory."

"We did our best with vehicle #31. Vehicle #46 experienced a technical problem that we identified as a power steering malfunction. We will conduct a thorough investigation to determine the exact cause of the issue."

"We fell behind our rivals, resulting in a further loss of points to the top two contenders. We'll need to figure out how to enhance our performance for the Fuji event."

The Heart of Racing team, driving the #27 Aston Martin, clinched victory in the LMGT3 category at COTA, whereas the other WRT vehicle, numbered #31, secured the fifth position.

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

In Rossi's debut season in the World Endurance Championship, the #46 car managed to secure a podium finish at Imola. However, it has not been able to achieve similar success in subsequent races.

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

Rossi mentioned to Sportscar365 that he consistently performs quicker and more efficiently when riding his motorcycle on familiar tracks.

"You can transfer a lot of knowledge. You're familiar with the track, understand the racing lines, and know the locations of the bumps and the areas with the best grip."

“Certainly, the GT is quite distinct in several ways. You have the ability to cut a lot and create various lines.”

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

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