Valentino Rossi “enjoyed being P1” at Le Mans, DNF “a big shame”

Valentino Rossi was a major contender for the LMGT3 class win at Le Mans, however, a mistake by team-mate Ahmad Al Harthy just before midnight ended in retirement for the #46 car.

Battling for top spot during the opening stages, Al Harthy handed over the WRT BMW to Rossi who managed to keep hold of top spot for large parts of his lone stint.

But as rain fell, Al Harthy, who had remained on-track with slick tyres crashed and damaged the car beyond repairs.

“In the first part of the race, we were very competitive, we were able to recover a lot of positions, thanks to a good strategy and a consistent pace,” said Rossi.

“We led the race for 2-3 hours and I enjoyed very much being in P1!

“Unfortunately, the conditions worsened and Ahmad, on slicks on a wet track, made a mistake, and we had to retire. It’s a big shame.”

While it was a lost opportunity for the #46 car, the sister WRT BMW went on to claim second in the class.

Driving the #31 car, World Endurance specialists Augusto Farfus and Rene Rast were behind the wheel alongside two-time DTM champion Marco Wittmann.

Speaking after their podium finish, Farfus said: “I think that on Saturday morning, before the race start, nobody would have expected to be here, on the podium and in a great position to fight for the world title.

“Well done to BMW, Team WRT and all the guys. It’s all about teamwork and team effort.

“We kept it on the road during very difficult times in the night, but we were rewarded for the incredible strategy, pit stops and set-up. Now, let’s celebrate.”

Rast, who like Wittmann is a multi-time DTM champion and LMP2 runner-up at Le Mans, added: “Being in Le Mans is always the highlight of the year. For me, it was a very special honour to start as a driver of the #20 BMW M Hybrid V8 Art Car.

“The parade on Friday was as fantastically crazy as every year. From a sporting perspective, the race result was, of course, anything but satisfactory, as we had expected much more.

“We simply didn't implement it well and made too many mistakes. We need to improve on that.”