Valentino Rossi’s WEC Hopes Dashed by Late Breakdown at COTA: #46 WRT BMW Forced to Retire 15 Minutes from Finish

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

The #46 WRT BMW LMGT3 vehicle, piloted by Valentino Rossi, Ahmad Al Harty, and Maxime Martin, had to withdraw from the Austin World Endurance Championship race just 15 minutes before it concluded.

Last Sunday at the Circuit of the Americas, a car with MotoGP icon Rossi's renowned #46 made an impressive climb from 15th to 5th place in the first phase of the Lone Star Le Mans race.

Al Harty placed the car in a favorable spot during his stint, and his teammates Rossi and Martin upheld the impressive speed.

Positioned within the top five nearing the end of the race, the car encountered a hydraulics problem with only 15 minutes remaining, leading to its withdrawal.

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

“While we are disappointed with the outcome, there are several positive aspects to acknowledge.”

"For the first half of the race, we were the only ones able to match the Ferrari's pace in the Hypercar category, which was highly encouraging."

"We need to master doing this flawlessly until the race concludes."

"However, let's maintain a positive outlook and concentrate on the upcoming race in Fuji, scheduled for two weeks from now. The performance in LMGT3 has been underwhelming."

"We did everything possible with vehicle #31. Vehicle #46 experienced a technical malfunction, which we have identified as an issue with the power steering. Nevertheless, we will conduct a more in-depth investigation to determine the root cause of the problem."

"Our rivals ended up ahead of us, causing us to lose more points to the top two teams. We need to figure out how to perform better in Fuji."

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

The #83 AF Corse Ferrari, driven by former Formula 1 driver Robert Kubica, along with Robert Shwartzman and Yifie Ye, claimed overall victory and first place in the Hypercar category.

In his debut season in the World Endurance Championship (WEC), Rossi has experienced varied outcomes. Although the #46 car managed to secure a podium finish at Imola, it has not been able to achieve similar success in subsequent races.

As the weekend approached, Rossi believed that his past experience racing at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) during his MotoGP career from 2013 to 2021 would be advantageous.

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

"You can bring a lot of experience with you. You're familiar with the track, the ideal routes, the locations of bumps, and where the grip is best."

"However, in certain aspects, the GT is distinctly different. It allows for significant cutting and varied lines."

“Ultimately, the course remains unchanged. Therefore, being familiar with it while riding the bike offers a significant benefit.”

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