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Qatar, 26-27 February 2024. FIA World Endurance Championship, FIA WEC, prologue, Lusail International Circuit, BMW M Team WRT, #20 BMW M Hybrid V8, Hypercar, LMDh, Sheldon van der Linde, René Rast, Robin Frijns.

BMW M Motorsport Media Guide - FIA World Endurance Championship 2024.

Jeff Seabrook 2024 FIA WEC Friday March 1, 2024

The BMW M Motorsport Media Guide contains a detailed introduction to the BMW M Hybrid V8 and the BMW M4 GT3, which will be competing in the LMGT3 category. It also features everything you need to know about teams, drivers, and the 20th BMW Art Car for the 24 Hours of Le Mans (FRA) in June 2024.

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Bathurst (AUS), 15th to 18th February 2024. BMW M Motorsport, Bathurst 12 Hour, Intercontinental GT Challenge. BMW M Team WRT, #32 BMW M4 GT3, Dries Vanthoor (BEL), Sheldon van der Linde (RSA), Charles Weerts (BEL), #46 BMW M4 GT3, Valentino Rossi (ITA), Maxime Martin (BEL), Raffaele Marciello (SUI).

Bathurst 12 Hour: BMW M Team WRT narrowly misses the podium in a turbulent race.

Jeff Seabrook 2024 Intercontinental GT Challenge Sunday February 18, 2024

BMW M Team WRT showed strong speed at the season opener of the Intercontinental GT Challenge (IGTC) at the Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst (AUS), but was unable to reap the rewards in a race marked by incidents and changeable weather.

Bathurst. BMW M Team WRT showed strong speed at the season opener of the Intercontinental GT Challenge (IGTC) at the Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst (AUS), but was unable to reap the rewards in a race marked by incidents and changeable weather. Sheldon van der Linde (RSA), Charles Weerts, and Dries Vanthoor (BEL) started the 12-hour race from pole position in the #32 BMW M4 GT3 but were forced to retire after an accident. In the #46 BMW M4 GT3, Valentino Rossi (ITA), Maxime Martin (BEL), and Raffaele Marciello (SUI) fought for a podium spot in an exciting final stage up to the last lap but ultimately had to settle for fifth place.

Throughout the race the BMW XM Safety Car repeatedly led the field after accidents, for the last time about 40 minutes before the end. That ignited a fierce battle for the podium places in which Martin briefly moved into third place with a bold overtaking manoeuvre, but had to relinquish it immediately due to a slight braking error on the still-slippery track. Thunderstorms with heavy rain showers characterised the second half of the race. Only in the last hour did the asphalt dry up again.

For the sister #32 car, the weekend had started perfectly. On Saturday, van der Linde secured pole position for the #32 BMW M4 GT3 in the Top-10 Pole Shootout, giving the team reason to celebrate. Martin qualified the car #46 in eighth place.

The race started on Sunday morning at 5:45 a.m. local time in darkness. Car #32 maintained the lead in the early stages, while #46 continued to move forward. It wasn't long before both BMW M4 GT3s were in the top three. However, after nearly five hours of racing, there was a moment of shock for BMW M Team WRT when the #32 car crashed heavily into the wall after unfortunate contact with a lapped car. Weerts, who was driving at the time, was fortunately uninjured, but for him and his teammates van der Linde and Vanthoor, the race was over prematurely.

Detail shot of the 20th BMW Art Car by Julie Mehretu in the creation process. Photo: André Josselin and Tina Paffen © BMW AG

FIA WEC: The BMW M Hybrid V8 Art Car will bear the starting number 20 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Jeff Seabrook 2024 FIA WEC Tuesday February 6, 2024

The countdown for the unveiling of the 20th BMW Art Car is underway. On 21st May, the BMW M Hybrid V8, designed by artist Julie Mehretu and set to compete at the 24 Hours of Le Mans on 15th/16th June, will be presented at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, France. The artist is already providing glimpses into her work. Additionally, it is now confirmed that the Art Car will carry the starting number 20.

Munich. The countdown for the unveiling of the 20th BMW Art Car is underway. On 21st May, the BMW M Hybrid V8, designed by artist Julie Mehretu and set to compete at the 24 Hours of Le Mans on 15th/16th June, will be presented at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, France. The artist is already providing glimpses into her work. Additionally, it is now confirmed that the Art Car will carry the starting number 20 and will be driven by Sheldon van der Linde (RSA), Robin Frijns (NED), and René Rast (GER).

The #20 BMW M Hybrid V8 will be the first Art Car since the 2017 season, where the BMW M6 GTLM designed by John Baldessari raced at the 24 Hours of Daytona (USA), followed by the virtual BMW M6 GT3 Art Car by Cao Fei at the FIA GT World Cup in Macau (CHN). In the past, the most famous BMW Art Cars have participated in Le Mans: in 1975, Alexander Calder’s BMW 3.0 CSL, in 1976, Frank Stella’s BMW 3.0 CSL, in 1977, Roy Lichtenstein’s BMW 320i Turbo, in 1979, Andy Warhol’s BMW M1, in 1999, Jenny Holzer’s BMW V12 LMR, and in 2010, Jeff Koons’ BMW M3 GT2. This illustrious collection is now enriched by Julie Mehretu’s BMW M Hybrid V8.

ROWE Racing to compete in GT World Challenge Europe and the 24h Nürburgring again in 2024.

Jeff Seabrook 2024 Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Thursday February 1, 2024

ROWE Racing will once again represent BMW M Motorsport in the 2024 season at the two major endurance classics at the Nürburgring (GER) and Spa-Francorchamps (BEL). The goal is defending the title in the Ardennes and, after finishing second in 2023, launching an assault on the second Nürburgring triumph after 2020

Munich. ROWE Racing will once again represent BMW M Motorsport in the 2024 season at the two major endurance classics at the Nürburgring (GER) and Spa-Francorchamps (BEL). The goal is defending the title in the Ardennes and, after finishing second in 2023, launching an assault on the second Nürburgring triumph after 2020. Similar to last year, the team led by team manager Hans-Peter Naundorf will compete in the five races of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Endurance Cup with two BMW M4 GT3s. Two cars will also be in action on the Nordschleife.

In the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS, Philipp Eng (AUT), Marco Wittmann (GER), and Nick Yelloly (GBR) aim to defend their jointly achieved victory at the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps in 2023. They will share the cockpit of a BMW M4 GT3 in four races of the Fanatec GT Endurance Cup. Due to a schedule clash between the event at Monza (ITA) in September and the IMSA Indianapolis (USA) race, Eng and Yelloly cannot compete together with Wittmann that weekend. The driver line-up for that race will be announced at a later date.

In the team’s other BMW M4 GT3, Dan Harper (GBR) and Max Hesse (GER) will once again hit the track. Augusto Farfus (BRA) joins as the third driver, returning to ROWE Racing. He first raced with the squad in 2022 and in 2023, he competed for the team at the Nürburgring and in Macau (CHN). Farfus reunites with Hesse and Harper, with whom he previously shared the cockpit as a mentor of the BMW Junior Team on the Nordschleife.

For the 24 Hours at the Nürburgring, seven BMW M works drivers will compete in the two BMW M4 GT3s. Alongside GTWC drivers Wittmann and Farfus, these are Sheldon van der Linde (RSA), Maxime Martin, Dries Vanthoor (both BEL), and the two new additions Robin Frijns (NED) and Raffaele Marciello (SUI).