The start of the Endurance Cup season of the GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS could hardly have gone better from the perspective of BMW M Motorsport. The new BMW M4 GT3 EVO achieved an overall victory, a class win, and a podium finish in every category at the 6 Hours of Paul Ricard at Le Castellet (FRA).
Laura Claesgens
BMW Group
Le Castellet. The start of the Endurance Cup season of the GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS could hardly have gone better from the perspective of BMW M Motorsport. The new BMW M4 GT3 EVO achieved an overall victory, a class win, and a podium finish in every category at the 6 Hours of Paul Ricard at Le Castellet (FRA). The Team WRT trio of Charles Weerts, Ugo de Wilde (both BEL), and Kelvin van der Linde (RSA) celebrated their race win on the podium. In the Silver Cup, Paradine Competition drove the #992 BMW M4 GT3 EVO to victory, while car #991 finished second in the Bronze Cup. In the Gold Cup, AlManar Racing by Team WRT secured third place .
The #32 BMW M4 GT3 EVO started the race from ninth position but steadily improved throughout the race. As darkness fell and the track cooled down, the car got faster, and about 1:45 hours before the end, van der Linde took the lead which he confidently maintained until the finish. The South African celebrated his second prestigious victory with Team WRT after the Bathurst 12 Hour (AUS). It was also a particularly special triumph for Ugo de Wilde, as he managed to win right away in his debut as a BMW M works driver.
The Le Castellet race was a complete success for the BMW M Motorsport teams beyond the overall victory. Paradine Competition had double reason to celebrate. In the Silver Cup, the victory went to the #992 BMW M4 GT3 EVO driven by James Kellett, Charles Clark (both GBR), and Pedro Ebrahim (BRA). In the Bronze Cup, BMW M works driver Dan Harper, team owner Darren Leung (both GBR), and Sean Gelael (INA) in the #991 car finished second. In the Gold Cup, BMW M works driver Jens Klingmann (GER), Ben Tuck (GBR), and Al Faisal Al Zubair (OMA) in the #777 BMW M4 GT3 EVO from AlManar Racing by Team WRT celebrated a third-place finish.
ROWE Racing, starting from 13th place with the #98 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, made a strong comeback and finished the race in sixth place with drivers Augusto Farfus (BRA), Jesse Krohn (FIN), and Raffaele Marciello (SUI). Century Motorsport finished fifth in the Silver Cup with car #42. Team WRT's car #30 and BMW Italia Ceccato Racing's car #15 retired early.
