2024 Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe

Nürburgring (GER), 13-14 April 2024. 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers, Nordschleife, #98 BMW M4 GT3, ROWE Racing, Raffaele Marciello, Maxime Martin, Marco Wittmann.
Nürburgring (GER), 13-14 April 2024. 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers, Nordschleife, #98 BMW M4 GT3, ROWE Racing, Raffaele Marciello, Maxime Martin, Marco Wittmann.

ROWE Racing finishes 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers on the podium – Three BMW M4 GT3s in the top six.

The BMW M Motorsport teams ROWE Racing and RMG successfully completed the most important race weekend on the Nordschleife before the 24 Hours of Nürburgring (GER)

Nürburgring. The BMW M Motorsport teams ROWE Racing and RMG successfully completed the most important race weekend on the Nordschleife before the 24 Hours of Nürburgring (GER). During the 24h Qualifiers, all three BMW M4 GT3s completed many laps and collected valuable data. In addition, there was racing success in the 4-hour race on Sunday. Raffaele Marciello (SUI), Maxime Martin (BEL), and Marco Wittmann (GER) drove the #98 ROWE Racing car to a second-place finish on the podium. The sister #99 car and the BMW M Team RMV #72 BMW M4 GT3 finished in fourth and sixth places, respectively.

The 24h Qualifiers consisted of two races, each four hours long. On Saturday, the #BMW M Motorsport teams focused on set-up work. Dan Harper (GBR), Max Hesse (GER), and Charles Weerts (BEL) were the highest-placed crew as tenth in the #72 #BMW M4 GT3. Augusto Farfus (BRA), Sheldon van der Linde (RSA), and Dries Vanthoor (BEL) finished twelfth in the ROWE Racing car #99. The #98 BMW M4 GT3 retired after an unavoidable collision but made up for it with the podium finish on Sunday. The race weekend was particularly valuable for Weerts and Marciello, as both completed their first races in the BMW M4 GT3 on the Nordschleife and were able to complete many laps. Marciello also celebrated his first podium as a BMW M works driver.

At the 24h Qualifiers – also rounds three and four of the #Nürburgring Endurance Series #NLS – numerous other categories were present alongside the GT3 cars. BMW M Motorsport teams achieved a total of nine class victories in the two races.

Nürburgring (GER), 22-23 March 2024. Nürburgring Endurance Series, NES, Nordschleife, ROWE Racing, #98 BMW M4 GT3, Robin Frijns, Raffaele Marciello, Augusto Farfus, Maxime Martin.
Nürburgring (GER), 22-23 March 2024. Nürburgring Endurance Series, NES, Nordschleife, ROWE Racing, #98 BMW M4 GT3, Robin Frijns, Raffaele Marciello, Augusto Farfus, Maxime Martin.

24h Nürburgring Qualifiers: BMW M Motorsport teams face the most important endurance test before the 24-hour race.

The short and intensive preparation phase for the Nürburgring 24 Hours (GER, 1st/2nd June) reaches its climax this coming weekend at the 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers. There, BMW M Motorsport teams RMG and ROWE Racing will compete in important preparatory races for the season highlight. Nine BMW M works drivers will be deployed in three BMW M4 GT3s.

Nürburgring. The short and intensive preparation phase for the Nürburgring 24 Hours (GER, 1st/2nd June) reaches its climax this coming weekend at the 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers. There, BMW M Motorsport teams RMG and ROWE Racing will compete in important preparatory races for the season highlight. Nine BMW M works drivers will be deployed in three BMW M4 GT3s.

BMW M Team RMG is once again relying on a young, highly talented line-up of drivers in 2024, with three members of the Gen2K group created by BMW M Motorsport (BMW M works drivers born in 2000 or later). Dan Harper (GBR) and Max Hesse (GER) will compete for the fourth time together with the team led by Team Principal Stefan Reinhold in the top class at the 24-hour race. Joining them in the cockpit of the #72 BMW M4 GT3, sporting the design of BMW M Motorsport Premium Technology Partner Shell, is Charles Weerts (BEL). The 23-year-old will make his debut at the 24h Nürburgring but already has an impressive and successful GT3 career, especially in the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS, where he was the overall winner in 2021. In recent weeks, Weerts, Harper, and Hesse have already completed several test laps on the Nordschleife and have been intensively preparing for their race entries.

ROWE Racing will field two cars. This coming weekend, BMW M works drivers Raffaele Marciello (SUI), Maxime Martin (BEL), and Marco Wittmann (GER) will take turns in the #98 BMW M4 GT3. In the sister #99 car, Augusto Farfus (BRA), Sheldon van der Linde (RSA), and Dries Vanthoor (BEL) will be in the cockpit. As the seventh driver, Robin Frijns (NED) will compete in the 24-hour race, however he will be absent from the Qualifiers due to a scheduling conflict with Formula E. Nevertheless, Frijns has also managed to complete several test laps on the Nordschleife in the past weeks.

At the season opener of the Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS) last weekend, no BMW M4 GT3 could take part because most drivers were participating in the concurrent GT World Challenge Europe event at Le Castellet (FRA), where Harper, Hesse, and Farfus won together with the ROWE Racing Team.

Munich (GER), 4 April 2024. Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe, GTWC, BMW M4 GT3, ROWE Racing, MultiBank Group, Dan Harper, Max Hesse, Augusto Farfus, design, livery.
Munich (GER), 4 April 2024. Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe, GTWC, BMW M4 GT3, ROWE Racing, MultiBank Group, Dan Harper, Max Hesse, Augusto Farfus, design, livery.

GT World Challenge Europe: Six BMW M4 GT3s at Endurance Cup season opener.

The new season of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS kicks off this coming weekend, with BMW M Motorsport once again well-represented. At Circuit Paul Ricard (FRA), BMW M Motorsport teams WRT, ROWE Racing, and Century Motorsport will field a total of six BMW M4 GT3 cars and more than a dozen BMW M works drivers.

Le Castellet. The new season of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS kicks off this coming weekend, with BMW M Motorsport once again well-represented. At Circuit Paul Ricard (FRA), BMW M Motorsport teams WRT, ROWE Racing, and Century Motorsport will field a total of six BMW M4 GT3 cars and more than a dozen BMW M works drivers.

The works-supported teams WRT and ROWE Racing will each compete with two cars in the Pro Cup for overall victories. Both teams have only one personnel change from last year. In the #46 BMW M4 GT3, Raffaele Marciello (SUI) will be the third driver alongside Maxime Martin (BEL) and Valentino Rossi (ITA), as he was already at Bathurst (AUS) in February. The #32 BMW M4 GT3 line-up remains unchanged with Sheldon van der Linde (RSA), Dries Vanthoor, and Charles Weerts (both BEL).

The same applies to the ROWE Racing #98 BMW M4 GT3, where Philipp Eng (AUT), Marco Wittmann (GER), and Nick Yelloly (GBR) will compete, among others, to defend the title at the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (BEL). In the #998 BMW M4 GT3, Augusto Farfus (BRA) – who was with BMW M Team WRT in 2023 – will be the third driver alongside Dan Harper (GBR) and Max Hesse (GER). The car will feature a new design from BMW M Motorsport partner MultiBank Group in 2024.

Le Castellet (FRA), 5-7 April 2024. Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe, GTWC, Circuit Paul Ricard, Endurance Cup, #46 BMW M4 GT3, BMW M Team WRT, Valentino Rossi, Maxime Martin, Raffaele Marciello.
Le Castellet (FRA), 5-7 April 2024. Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe, GTWC, Circuit Paul Ricard, Endurance Cup, #46 BMW M4 GT3, BMW M Team WRT, Valentino Rossi, Maxime Martin, Raffaele Marciello.

GT World Challenge Europe: Augusto Farfus, Dan Harper, and Max Hesse win the season opener.

The breakthrough has come! ROWE Racing has given BMW M Motorsport the first major success of the year 2024 at the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Le Castellet (FRA) season opener. Augusto Farfus (BRA), Dan Harper (GBR), and Max Hesse (GER) were rewarded following a magnificent performance in the #998 BMW M4 GT3 and celebrated their first victory in the highly competitive race series.

Le Castellet. The breakthrough has come! ROWE Racing has given BMW M Motorsport the first major success of the year 2024 at the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Le Castellet (FRA) season opener. Augusto Farfus (BRA), Dan Harper (GBR), and Max Hesse (GER) were rewarded following a magnificent performance in the #998 BMW M4 GT3 and celebrated their first victory in the highly competitive race series. Starting from fifth place, the trio put on an impressive show and crossed the finish line in first place with a 13.5-second lead. In the BMW M Team WRT #46 BMW M4 GT3, Valentino Rossi (ITA), Maxime Martin (BEL), and Raffaele Marciello (SUI) also gave a strong performance to finish fourth.

You find post-race video interviews here: https://b.mw/GTWC_Interviews. (URL is not valid)

The #998 BMW M4 GT3, sporting the design of BMW M Motorsport partner MultiBank Group, moved up to third place thanks to a strong start by Farfus, and Harper put the car on the path to victory with a remarkable overtaking manoeuvre on the leading Lamborghini. Hesse then confidently drove to the finish line, securing the fifth overall victory for ROWE Racing in the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS. The sister car with Marco Wittmann (GER), Nick Yelloly (GBR), and Philipp Eng (AUT) also gave a very strong performance and was on track for a podium finish, but a problem during the second refuelling initially cost valuable seconds and then forced Eng to make an additional pit stop shortly before the end of the race. That dropped the #98 BMW M4 GT3 back to twelfth position.

There were mixed feelings at BMW M Team WRT. While Rossi, Martin, and Marciello could be satisfied with fourth place thanks to a strong final sprint, the #32 BMW M4 GT3 was forced to retire after an unprovoked collision for Charles Weerts (BEL) with a competitor resulting in tyre damage. The Team WRT #30 BMW M4 GT3, in which BMW M works driver Jens Klingmann (GER) shared the cockpit with Ahmad Al Harthy (OMA) and Sam De Haan (GBR), finished sixth in the Bronze Cup. The #991 BMW M4 GT3 of Century Motorsport with Jake Dennis, Darren Leung, and Toby Sowery (all GBR) at the wheel was on course for a podium in the Bronze Cup but then retired.


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