2024 FIA WEC

Imola, 17-21 April 2024. BMW M Motorsport. FIA World Endurance Championship, FIA WEC, Team WRT, #46 BMW M4 GT3, LMGT3, Maxime Martin, Valentino Rossi, Ahmad Al Harthy.

FIA WEC: BMW M4 GT3 triumphs at Imola – Strong race for the #20 BMW M Hybrid V8.

Jeff Seabrook 2024 FIA WEC Sunday April 21, 2024

Great results for BMW M Motorsport and Team WRT at the second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC). The 6 Hours of Imola (ITA) ended with a one-two result for the BMW M4 GT3 in the LMGT3 class. Augusto Farfus (BRA), Sean Gelael (INA), and Darren Leung (GBR) triumphed ahead of their team-mates Maxime Martin (BEL), Valentino Rossi (ITA), and Ahmad Al Harthy (OMA).

Imola. Great results for BMW M Motorsport and Team WRT at the second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC). The 6 Hours of Imola (ITA) ended with a one-two result for the BMW M4 GT3 in the LMGT3 class. Augusto Farfus (BRA), Sean Gelael (INA), and Darren Leung (GBR) triumphed ahead of their team-mates Maxime Martin (BEL), Valentino Rossi (ITA), and Ahmad Al Harthy (OMA). It was the first victory for a BMW M Motorsport car in the history of the FIA WEC. BMW M Team WRT also celebrated success in the Hypercar category. After a challenging start in Qatar, Robin Frijns (NED), René Rast (GER), and Sheldon van der Linde (RSA) gave a very strong performance, battled for the podium for a long time, and ultimately finished in sixth place.

The weather conditions, with rain setting in around the halfway point of the race, turned the event into a strategy gamble. However, all BMW M Motorsport teams made the right tyre choices and were rewarded with outstanding results. The BMW M Hybrid V8 made enormous improvements compared to the season opener and was competitive under all conditions. On the wet track, final driver van der Linde even had the podium within reach, but problems during the last pit stop and a subsequent drive-through penalty pushed the #20 BMW M Hybrid V8 back to a still-strong sixth place. The #15 BMW M Hybrid V8 with Raffaele Marciello (SUI), Dries Vanthoor (BEL), and Marco Wittmann (GER) in the cockpit was unlucky and got innocently involved in a collision at the start. After about an hour of repairs, the team managed to get the car back on track for important test kilometres.

The celebration was even greater in the LMGT3 category. Both BMW M4 GT3 crews continued on slick tyres as the rain began to fall, making the right decision. No competitor could match their speed, and they drove to a commanding one-two finish. Never before had a BMW M Motorsport car won a race in this series since the founding of the FIA WEC in 2012.

Comments after the race at Imola:

Long Beach (USA), 20-21 April 2024. IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, BMW M Team RLL, GTP, LMDh, #25 BMW M Hybrid V8, Connor De Phillippi, Nick Yelloly.

IMSA Long Beach: Strong pace of the BMW M Hybrid V8 goes unrewarded – Turner Motorsport on the GTD podium.

Jeff Seabrook 2024 FIA WEC Sunday April 21, 2024

In the first sprint race of the season in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at Long Beach (USA), BMW M Team RLL was unable to achieve the hoped-for first podium finish of the year after a strong qualifying

Long Beach. In the first sprint race of the season in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at Long Beach (USA), BMW M Team RLL was unable to achieve the hoped-for first podium finish of the year after a strong qualifying. Nick Yelloly (GBR) and Connor De Phillippi (USA) started the 100-minute race from second position but initially fell back during their pit stop in a yellow flag period and later due to a damaged front on the tight street circuit in California. While Philipp Eng (AUT) and Jesse Krohn (FIN) in the #24 BMW M Hybrid V8 finished in sixth place, Turner Motorsport celebrated a podium in the GTD class .

In the third race of the season, following the endurance classics at Daytona and Sebring (both USA), BMW M Team RLL was denied the first podium of the year 2024 despite the strong pace of the BMW M Hybrid V8. In the first half of the race, Yelloly held his ground in the leading group and even took the lead. However, a yellow flag just before the planned pit stop for the #25 BMW M Hybrid V8, which brought the field back together, resulted in De Phillippi falling back to fifth position. There, he was repeatedly involved in tight duels, leading to collisions and ultimately a damaged front that had to be changed in the pits. A few laps before the end, the race for car #25 ended after a slip into the tyre barriers. De Phillippi and Yelloly were classified ninth in the GTP class. Eng and Krohn, starting from ninth place, found it difficult to move forward on the street circuit but collected important points with a sixth-place finish.

BMW M works driver Robby Foley and his teammate Patrick Gallagher (both USA) had reason to celebrate. The duo made a strong comeback in the Turner Motorsport #96 BMW M4 GT3, starting from seventh place and finishing second on the podium in the GTD category.

Reactions after the race:

Sebring (USA), 14-16 March 2024. IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Sebring International Raceway, BMW M Team RLL, GTP, LMDh, #24 BMW M Hybrid V8, Philipp Eng, Jesse Krohn, Augusto Farfus.

FIA WEC at Imola, IMSA at Long Beach: BMW M Hybrid V8 faces an eventful double-header weekend.

Jeff Seabrook 2024 FIA WEC Tuesday April 16, 2024

Four BMW M Hybrid V8s, two continents. The BMW M Motorsport LMDh prototypes are facing an intense racing weekend. While BMW M Team WRT competes at Imola (ITA) with two Hypercars in the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC) for the second race of the season, BMW M Team RLL is aiming for the season’s first podium in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IMSA series) at Long Beach (USA).

Imola/Long Beach. Four BMW M Hybrid V8s, two continents. The BMW M Motorsport LMDh prototypes are facing an intense racing weekend. While BMW M Team WRT competes at Imola (ITA) with two Hypercars in the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC) for the second race of the season, BMW M Team RLL is aiming for the season’s first podium in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IMSA series) at Long Beach (USA). The BMW M4 GT3 is targeting the podium in both Italy and California.

FIA WEC: BMW M Team WRT competes at Imola.

At the 6 Hours of Imola, the FIA WEC is making its first European stop this year. BMW M Motorsport engineers and BMW M Team WRT have analysed the challenging season opener in Qatar with the two BMW M Hybrid V8s over the past weeks and have worked intensively to improve the car. Behind the wheel of car #15 are Raffaele Marciello (SUI), Dries Vanthoor (BEL), and Marco Wittmann (GER). The sister car, the #20 BMW M Hybrid V8, is shared by Robin Frijns (NED), René Rast (GER), and Sheldon van der Linde (RSA).

In the LMGT3 class, Team WRT made a strong impression in Qatar, with the #46 BMW M4 GT3 narrowly missing the podium at the opener. At Imola, the crew will be carried by a special tailwind; Valentino Rossi (ITA) starts his home race, with the Imola track being less than two hours’ drive from his birthplace Urbino (ITA). The 45-year-old Italian will join Ahmad Al Harthy (OMA) and BMW M works driver Maxime Martin (BEL) for the 6 Hours of Imola. Driven by numerous Tifosi expected along the track, the local hero and his team-mates are aiming for a podium finish. In the sister car, the #31 BMW M4 GT3, BMW M works driver Augusto Farfus (BRA), Sean Gelael (INA), and Darren Leung (GBR) will take turns.

The Imola race starts on Sunday at 13:00 CEST.

BMW M Motorsport, Schubert Motorsport, DTM 2024, #33 BMW M4 GT3, René Rast (GER), RoboMarkets.

DTM 2024: RoboMarkets, Schaeffler and Shell continue to be strong partners on the BMW M4 GT3 this season.

Jeff Seabrook 2024 FIA WEC Thursday March 21, 2024

When the three DTM champions René Rast (GER), Sheldon van der Linde (RSA) and Marco Wittmann (GER) kick off the 2024 DTM season with Schubert Motorsport at the end of April, long-standing BMW M Motorsport partners RoboMarkets, Schaeffler, and Shell will also be on board again. These three partners will continue to shape the designs of the three BMW M4 GT3s.

Munich. When the three DTM champions René Rast (GER), Sheldon van der Linde (RSA) and Marco Wittmann (GER) kick off the 2024 DTM season with Schubert Motorsport at the end of April, long-standing BMW M Motorsport partners RoboMarkets, Schaeffler, and Shell will also be on board again. These three partners will continue to shape the designs of the three BMW M4 GT3s.

Wittmann, with car number 11 and the green Schaeffler design has been a successful combination familiar to DTM fans for a long time and will again be seen on the DTM circuits this season. Van der Linde will compete in the #31 BMW M4 GT3 in Shell’s classic colors, as in previous years. Rast enters his second DTM season as a BMW M works driver, and his #33 BMW M4 GT3 will once again feature RoboMarkets’ blue design, as it did last year.

Quotes:

Munich, 19th March 2024. BMW M Motorsport, Gen2K, Logo, young drivers, Generation 2000.

Gen2K: BMW M Motorsport unveils new logo for its “young guns” – Start at the 24h Nürburgring.

Jeff Seabrook 2024 FIA WEC Tuesday March 19, 2024

Nurturing young racing talent has been one of the cornerstones of BMW M Motorsport’s programme for decades. Most recently, BMW Junior Team made waves in GT racing for several years, nurturing Dan Harper, Max Hesse, and Neil Verhagen into BMW M works drivers. They now join forces with Charles Weerts to form the group born after the turn of the millennium. For the 2024 season, BMW M Motorsport has given them a name and a new logo: Gen2K.

Munich. Nurturing young racing talent has been one of the cornerstones of BMW M Motorsport’s programme for decades. Most recently, BMW Junior Team made waves in GT racing for several years, nurturing talents such as Dan Harper (GBR), Max Hesse (GER), and Neil Verhagen (USA) into accomplished BMW M works drivers. In a high-profile line-up, they join forces with Charles Weerts (BEL) to form the group born after the turn of the millennium. For the 2024 season, BMW M Motorsport has given them a name and a new logo: Gen2K.

“Generation 2000”, comprising the three members of the BMW Junior Team and Weerts, who has already achieved numerous successes in GT racing at a young age with Team WRT in recent years, embodies BMW M Motorsport’s approach to infuse its line-up with not only experience but also youthful dynamism making it as versatile as possible.

The Gen2K racing programme is also diverse. Harper, Hesse, and Weerts will contest the 24 Hours of Nürburgring (GER) in June in the BMW M Team RMG BMW M4 GT3. While Harper and Hesse have grown up on the Nordschleife as part of their training and have contested many races there, Weerts will make his debut at the endurance classic in the Eifel region. The trio will hit the track for the first time in the BMW M4 GT3 this coming weekend during test sessions ahead of the start of the Nürburgring Endurance Series (NES) season.

Moreover, all three drivers will compete in the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS, albeit for different teams. Harper and Hesse for ROWE Racing, Weerts for BMW M Team WRT. Additionally, Hesse will undertake race outings for BMW Team Italia Ceccato Racing in the Italian GT Championship, while Harper will participate in selected events of the British GT Championship, where he clinched the driver’s title in 2023. Verhagen will contest the entire season of the Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS for ST Racing in North America, as well as the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup races for Paul Miller Racing.