Valentino Rossi’s WEC Hopes Dashed: Late Breakdown Forces #46 WRT BMW Out of COTA Race

Valentino Rossi’s race at the COTA WEC was thwarted by a late mechanical failure. The #46 BMW from WRT encountered technical problems just 15 minutes before the end 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 with just 15 minutes remaining.

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

Al Harty positioned the car well during his stint, and his team-mates Rossi and Martin continued to keep up the fast pace.

As the race was coming to an end and the car was maintaining a position within the top five, a hydraulic problem emerged with just 15 minutes remaining, causing the vehicle to withdraw from the competition.

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

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

"We were the sole competitors able to match the Ferrari's pace in the Hypercar category during the initial half of the race, which was a significant achievement."

"At this point, we need to master performing it flawlessly until the race is over."

"However, let's stay optimistic and concentrate on the upcoming race in Fuji, which is happening in two weeks. The outcome in LMGT3 has been disheartening."

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

"The teams we competed against ended up ahead of us, causing us to lose more points to the top two leaders. We need to figure out how to enhance our performance for the Fuji event."

The Heart of Racing team, driving the #27 Aston Martin, secured victory in the LMGT3 category at COTA, whereas the best-performing WRT car was the #31, which finished in fifth place.

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 took 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, but has not yet been able to achieve a similar result again.

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

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

"You can transfer a lot of knowledge. You're familiar with the track, understand the racing lines, and are aware of the bumps and grip levels."

"Certainly, when it comes to the GT, it stands out in several ways. You can take a lot of shortcuts and choose alternate paths."

"In the end, the course remains unchanged. Therefore, being familiar with the track while on the bike is a definite benefit."

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