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...
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:
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...
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:
Well, with all of the photos I've taken with the Corvette Guitar - I had never taken any with my 1990 BMW 325i - just so happened to come across a 1991 318i at the car show and figured...why not?
Nice to meet you today, Mike - hope to see you at the show in October (the event info is here: Vettes for Vets II - Car Show and Fundraiser for VFW...
Well, with all of the photos I've taken with the Corvette Guitar - I had never taken any with my 1990 BMW 325i - just so happened to come across a 1991 318i at the car show and figured...why not?
Nice to meet you today, Mike - hope to see you at the show in October (the event info is here: Vettes for Vets II - Car Show and Fundraiser for VFW Post 4225)
All of the photos are posted here:
Good to meet a couple of guys today in Oviedo, FL. It's not too often that you get to see an e28 M5 and an e24 M6 out together, casually, at the same time! 2 very fine examples of ///M cars! Hope to see you all again - get in contact: Vettes for Vets II - hope to see you at the show!
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...
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.
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