MotoGP Legend Valentino Rossi Upset as Gulf 12 Hours Win Slips Away

MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi believes a late-race pedal box issue thwarted his BMW's chance for victory in the Gulf 12 Hours at Yas Marina in Abu Dhabi. Although Rossi maintained the lead in the Intercontinental GT Challenge finale for most of the race, a malfunction in the pedal box during a critical pitstop resulted in a delayed turnover when Rossi passed the baton to Nick Yelloly.  The setback necessitated the remaining co-drivers to adjust their driving technique during the final stretches. Despite their determined efforts to remain competitive, they ultimately secured the second position, trailing the Mercedes by a margin of 12.8 seconds. 

Rossi and his Team-mates Upset After Podium Finish

While Rossi successfully achieved his podium goals, the Doctor conceded that he and his teammates felt a twinge of disappointment witnessing the elusive victory slip through their grasp.

“At the end, it was a great weekend for us," said Valentino Rossi. "The target was to make it to the podium and we were very strong, very fast. We had a close to perfect race. We could have also won and have been in P1. So in the end we are a little bit upset because we felt the taste of the victory but we had an issue with the pedal box and lost crucial seconds at the pit stop. This is a great shame because in the end we missed it by 12 seconds so it could have been a fantastic battle to the last lap. But anyway, it’s great, the car was very strong, the teamwork was as always very good and I enjoyed it a lot to race with Dries and Nick. It is great to finish the season with a podium. It is the sixth podium of the season. So I am very happy about this season and about the improvement.”

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Team principal BMW M Team WRT Vincent Vosse said:  "Of course, when you come to a race it’s always with the goal to win. And we don’t see it another way. We got close to it with car #46. Finishing a 12-hour race 12 seconds behind the leader after we had the technical issue with that car at a pit stop losing 15 seconds or so feels a bit bitter-sweet, but at the end we had a strong race. The #32 unfortunately had an exhaust issue that cost us a few laps and we could never really come back with that car. We did the job. Finishing second in the manufacturers and finishing the race second is not exactly what we like but this makes us stronger for next year."

Gulf 12 Hours: Top 10 Finishers

Three championship titles were decided at the Lenovo Gulf 12 Hours, the Intercontinental GT Challenge's final race in 2023. Gounon captured the drivers' championship by finishing on the podium, while Mercedes-AMG successfully retained their manufacturers' title, and Jonathan Hui claimed victory in the Independents' class.

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Following a gruelling 12-hour race, a grand total of 16 cars successfully completed the course and passed the finish line marked by the chequered flag.

Two competitors, the 7Tsix Mercedes-AMG GT3 and the #12 Porsche 911 GT3 R of Car Collection Motorsport, sadly suffered accident damage during qualifying that prevented them from starting the race.