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Le Mans (FRA), 4-5 May 2024. FIA World Endurance Championship, 24h Le Mans, BMW M Hybrid V8, BMW M Team WRT, BMW V12 LMR, BMW Group Classic, photoshoot, history, heritage.

24h Le Mans: BMW M Motorsport returns to the top class after 25 years with the BMW M Hybrid V8.

Jeff Seabrook 2024 FIA WEC Friday June 7, 2024

BMW M Motorsport embarks on the most spectacular racing week of the year with the slogan “BMW M is back at Le Mans”. Exactly 25 years after the victory of the BMW V12 LMR, the start of the BMW M Hybrid V8 in the Hypercar class marks the return of the BMW brand to the top category at the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans (FRA).

Le Mans. BMW M Motorsport embarks on the most spectacular racing week of the year with the slogan “BMW M is back at Le Mans”. Exactly 25 years after the victory of the BMW V12 LMR, the start of the BMW M Hybrid V8 in the Hypercar class marks the return of the BMW brand to the top category at the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans (FRA). The #20 BMW M Hybrid V8 will play a very special role as it competes as the 20th BMW Art Car. Designed by the internationally renowned artist Julie Mehretu, the car will be a highlight in the paddock. In the LMGT3 class of the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC), two BMW M4 GT3s will compete for victory at the Circuit de la Sarthe.

In the Hypercar class, BMW M Team WRT and six BMW M works drivers face what is probably the toughest competition in current motorsport. 23 Hypercars from nine manufacturers are registered for the endurance highlight of the year. In the #15 BMW M Hybrid V8, Raffaele Marciello (SUI), Dries Vanthoor (BEL), and Marco Wittmann (GER) will take turns driving. The #20 BMW M Hybrid V8 Art Car will be raced by Robin Frijns (NED), René Rast (GER), and Sheldon van der Linde (RSA). The design of the 20th BMW Art Car by Julie Mehretu was unveiled on May 21 at the Centre Pompidou in Paris (FRA). It was created based on one of the artist’s works as a “performative painting.” More details can be found in the BMW M Motorsport Media Guide: https://b.mw/WEC_Media_Guide.

In the LMGT3 category, Team WRT fields two BMW M4 GT3s in new liveries. The #31 BMW M4 GT3 will be driven by the winners of the 6 Hours of Imola (ITA), Augusto Farfus (BRA), Sean Gelael (INA), and Darren Leung (GBR). The #46 car will be shared by Maxime Martin (BEL), Valentino Rossi (ITA), and Ahmad Al Harthy (OMA).

History of BMW at Le Mans.

Nürburg (GER), 30th May to 2nd June 2024. BMW M Motorsport, 24h Nürburgring, Intercontinental GT Challenge IGTC, BMW M Team RMG, #72 BMW M4 GT3, Dan Harper, Max Hesse, Charles Weerts, Gen2K.

Podium at the 24h Nürburgring: #72 BMW M4 GT3 classified in third place after a foggy race.

Jeff Seabrook 2024 Intercontinental GT Challenge Sunday June 2, 2024

Dense fog was the dominant theme at the 52nd edition of the 24h Nürburgring (GER). Only just under seven and a half hours could be driven under regular conditions, followed by a break of over 14 hours, before the race ended after five formation laps behind the safety car. As a result, the #72 BMW M4 GT3 of BMW M Team RMG, which started from pole position and with good chances of victory, was ultimately classified in third place.

Nürburg. Dense fog was the dominant theme at the 52nd edition of the 24h Nürburgring (GER). Only just under seven and a half hours could be driven under regular conditions, followed by a break of over 14 hours, before the race ended after five formation laps behind the safety car. As a result, the #72 BMW M4 GT3 of BMW M Team RMG, which started from pole position and with good chances of victory, was ultimately classified in third place. The result is provisional, and the official final result is still pending. The car, in the design of BMW M Motorsport Premium Technology Partner Shell, was shared by the three BMW M Motorsport Gen2K drivers Max Hesse (GER), Dan Harper (GBR), and Charles Weerts (BEL). The ROWE Racing #98 BMW M4 GT3 driven by Raffaele Marciello (SUI), Marco Wittmann (GER), Maxime Martin (BEL), and Augusto Farfus (BRA) was classified in seventh position. The ROWE Racing #99 BMW M4 GT3, in which Sheldon van der Linde (RSA), Dries Vanthoor (BEL), Robin Frijns (NED), and Farfus took turns, led the race in the early stages but retired after an unavoidable accident.

Just before the start, the 24-hour race was already typically turbulent. It began to rain on the starting grid, and tyre choice became a lottery. In the pole car, the #72 BMW M4 GT3, starting driver Harper came into the pits after the formation lap to switch to drying wets, as did Wittmann in the #98 BMW M4 GT3. Meanwhile, Farfus in the #99 had already started on those tyres and sprinted from seventh on the grid to the front of the field within 20 minutes. Behind him, Harper and Wittmann also gained position after position and worked their way back to the front. After about two hours of racing, the first driver changes took place.

Van der Linde took over the #99 car and continued to fight at the front. However, in the fourth hour of the race, the leading BMW M4 GT3 was forced to retire through no fault of its own. While lapping, van der Linde was hit on the left rear by a slower car and collided with another car. The fight for victory ended in the track barrier.

Detroit (USA), 30 May - 1 June. IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, GTP, LMDh, #24 BMW M Hybrid V8, BMW M Team RLL, Philipp Eng, Jesse Krohn.

IMSA: Disappointing race for BMW M Team RLL on the Detroit street circuit.

Jeff Seabrook 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Sunday June 2, 2024

The fifth season race of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship on the tight streets of Detroit (USA) was disappointing for the two BMW M Hybrid V8s of BMW M Team RLL. Philipp Eng (AUT) and Jesse Krohn (FIN) finished in seventh place in the #24 car. The #25 BMW M Hybrid V8 with Connor De Phillippi (USA) and Nick Yelloly (GBR) at the wheel retired after an accident

Detroit. The fifth season race of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship on the tight streets of Detroit (USA) was disappointing for the two BMW M Hybrid V8s of BMW M Team RLL. Philipp Eng (AUT) and Jesse Krohn (FIN) finished in seventh place in the #24 car. The #25 BMW M Hybrid V8 with Connor De Phillippi (USA) and Nick Yelloly (GBR) at the wheel retired after an accident .

After strong performances in practice, BMW M Team RLL had bad luck in qualifying on Friday. A red flag shortly before the end of the session prevented Eng and Yelloly from completing their fastest laps. Starting from sixth and eighth on the grid, it was very difficult to make up ground in the race on the tight circuit. After an early drive-through penalty, the #24 car could do no better than seventh place. In the #25 BMW M Hybrid V8, which was doing well in the race until the pit stop, De Phillippi initially slid straight into the tyre barriers while fighting for the lead and then retired a lap later after another impact into the track barrier with a broken rear suspension.

In the GTD-PRO class, the #1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 with Madison Snow and Bryan Sellers (both USA) at the wheel finished in fifth place.

Comments after the race:

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

Ten BMW M works drivers, three BMW M4 GT3s: BMW M Motorsport teams are strongly positioned for the 24h Nürburgring.

Jeff Seabrook 2024 Intercontinental GT Challenge Monday May 27, 2024

Nürburgring (GER), Le Mans (FRA), Spa-Francorchamps (BEL): June is all about three 24-hour classics in one month for BMW M Motorsport. It kicks off on 1st/2nd June with the 52nd edition of the 24h Nürburgring. BMW M Team RMG and ROWE Racing will field three BMW M4 GT3s with the goal of securing BMW’s 21st overall victory at the Eifel marathon

Munich. Nürburgring (GER), Le Mans (FRA), Spa-Francorchamps (BEL): June is all about three 24-hour classics in one month for BMW M Motorsport. It kicks off on 1st/2nd June with the 52nd edition of the 24h Nürburgring. BMW M Team RMG and ROWE Racing will field three BMW M4 GT3s with the goal of securing BMW’s 21st overall victory at the Eifel marathon. The three SP9 Pro cars will be driven by a strong line-up of ten BMW M works drivers. Additionally, the 24h Nürburgring is part of the Intercontinental GT Challenge (IGTC) this year.

In the #72 BMW M4 GT3 from BMW M Team RMG, three members of the newly established Gen2K (BMW M works drivers born in or after 2000) will be competing: Dan Harper (GBR), Max Hesse (GER), and Charles Weerts (BEL). Harper and Hesse will be racing with the Stefan Reinhold-led team for the fourth time, while Weerts makes his debut at the 24h Nürburgring. The #72 BMW M4 GT3 livery, designed by BMW M Motorsport Premium Technology Partner Shell, is especially striking at night as illuminated foil creates special visual effects in the dark.

ROWE Racing will field two BMW M4 GT3s in the 2024 ‘Eifel marathon’. In the #98 car, which finished second in 2023, Marco Wittmann (GER) and Maxime Martin (BEL) will once again compete, now joined by their BMW M works driver colleagues Raffaele Marciello (SUI) and Augusto Farfus (BRA). Wittmann, Marciello, and Martin already secured a second-place podium finish at the 24h Qualifiers in April.

Farfus will take on a dual role on the Nordschleife this year, also starting in the #99 car. His three colleagues in that BMW M4 GT3 are Sheldon van der Linde (RSA) and Dries Vanthoor (BEL), who were also part of the #98 podium crew in 2023, along with Robin Frijns (NED).

For the BMW M works drivers and BMW M Motorsport, this year is not just about the overall success at the Eifel classic, but also about scoring points for the drivers’ and manufacturers’ standings in the IGTC. The 24h Nürburgring, the second round of the season following the opener at Bathurst (AUS), is part of the IGTC calendar for the first time. Marciello and Martin have already collected important points with a fourth-place finish in the BMW M4 GT3 from BMW M Team WRT at Bathurst in February.

In addition to BMW M Team RMG and ROWE Racing with their three BMW M4 GT3s, numerous BMW teams with a total of 33 different vehicles will once again compete in the various classes, including ten BMW M4 GT4s, six BMW M240i Racings, and other models.