BMW M Motorsport News, 26th September 2023.

Jeff Seabrook BMW Racing News Tuesday September 26, 2023

BMW M Motorsport News allows us to give you a regular overview of the race action in various championships around the world and any success enjoyed by the BMW M Motorsport teams.

Björn Lellmann, Head of Customer Racing at BMW M Motorsport:

“Autumn has started with fantastic success for our BMW M Motorsport teams and drivers. With the BMW M4 GT3, we not only enjoyed a one-two in Sunday’s DTM race at the Red Bull Ring, but also a one-two in the ADAC GT Masters at the same venue, courtesy of FK Performance and Schubert Motorsport. Walkenhorst Motorsport continued its winning run on the Nordschleife. Plus, we had the dominant success for BMW Ceccato Racing in the Italian GT Endurance Championship. In the GT Cup Championship too, victory went to the BMW M4 GT3. Furthermore, our BMW M4 GT4 and the BMW M2 CS Racing also celebrated more great successes in Europe and the USA. At this point, I would like to congratulate our two champions who won titles at the weekend: Colin Garrett in TC America and Leyton Fourie in the BMW M2 Cup. All this success makes us hungry for the conclusion to the season in the many championships around the world.”

Top topics in this newsletter:

NLS: Walkenhorst Motorsport makes it three wins in a row.
ADAC GT Masters: One-two for the BMW M4 GT3 at the Red Bull Ring.
Italian GT Endurance Championship: Dominant win for BMW Ceccato Racing at Monza.
TC America: Colin Garrett is crowned champion with races to come.
BMW M2 Cup: Leyton Fourie is the 2023 champion.

DTM: René Rast celebrates his first victory as a BMW M works driver – Sheldon van der Linde finishes second on the podium.

Jeff Seabrook BMW Racing News Monday September 25, 2023

At the penultimate race weekend of the DTM season at the Red Bull Ring (AUT), the BMW M4 GT3 returned to the winner's circle. René Rast (GER) celebrated his first victory as a BMW M works driver with a first-place finish in Sunday's race. Prior to that, he broke Bernd Schneider's (GER) DTM record with his second pole position of the season. With a total of 26 poles, Rast is now the sole leader in the all-time best list.

Spielberg. At the penultimate race weekend of the DTM season at the Red Bull Ring (AUT), the BMW M4 GT3 returned to the winner's circle. René Rast (GER) celebrated his first victory as a BMW M works driver with a first-place finish in Sunday's race. Prior to that, he broke Bernd Schneider's (GER) DTM record with his second pole position of the season. With a total of 26 poles, Rast is now the sole leader in the all-time best list. Sheldon van der Linde (RSA) secured second place on Sunday, contributing to a 1-2 for Team Schubert Motorsport. Marco Wittmann (GER) matched his best season result as he finished fourth on Sunday, narrowly missing out on his first podium with the Project 1 Team.

After a mixed Saturday race at Spielberg, where Rast narrowly missed the podium in fourth place and Wittmann and van der Linde finished eighth and 13th, the three BMW M works drivers bounced back on Sunday. Rast secured pole position with a lead of 0.111 seconds over his teammate van der Linde, while Wittmann started from fifth. In the race, the Schubert duo defended the first two positions to the finish line, while Wittmann battled for third place but ultimately settled for fourth. He had achieved the same result at Zandvoort (NED). Sandro Holzem (GER) finished 24th in the second Project 1 BMW M4 GT3 on Saturday and retired on Sunday.

Heading into the season finale in October at Hockenheim (GER), van der Linde and Rast are currently in fourth and fifth place in the driver's standings. In the team standings, Schubert Motorsport is in fourth place.

IMSA: Podium for BMW M Team RLL at Indianapolis – Paul Miller Racing clinches GTD title.

Jeff Seabrook BMW Racing News Monday September 18, 2023

On the penultimate race weekend of the season in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IMSA series) at Indianapolis (USA), there was plenty of reason to celebrate for the BMW M Motorsport teams. Connor De Phillippi (USA) and Nick Yelloly (GBR) secured a spot on the podium by finishing third in the 2-hour and 40-minute race in the #25 BMW M Hybrid V8 of BMW M Team RLL.

Indianapolis. On the penultimate race weekend of the season in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IMSA series) at Indianapolis (USA), there was plenty of reason to celebrate for the BMW M Motorsport teams. Connor De Phillippi (USA) and Nick Yelloly (GBR) secured a spot on the podium by finishing third in the 2-hour and 40-minute race in the #25 BMW M Hybrid V8 of BMW M Team RLL. It marked the duo’s fifth podium finish in the debut season of the GTP class. In the GTD category, Paul Miller Racing drivers Madison Snow and Bryan Sellers (both USA) clinched the GTD title prematurely with a third-place finish in the #1 BMW M4 GT3, simultaneously defending the Sprint Cup championship they had won in 2022 .

While De Phillippi and Yelloly fought their way to the podium from the seventh starting position during the course of 113 laps on the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway, their teammates in the #24 BMW M Hybrid V8 had a stroke of bad luck. After just nine laps, Philipp Eng (AUT) had to pit due to technical issues. It wasn't until two further stops that the electric problems of the LMDh car could be solved, allowing Eng and Augusto Farfus (BRA) to continue the race with a significant deficit. They were ultimately classified as tenth in the GTP class. In the overall standings of the IMSA series, De Phillippi and Yelloly are currently in fourth place with 2422 points each, just 38 points behind the leaders, ahead of the season finale on 14^th October in Road Atlanta (USA).

In the GTD category, Madison Snow and Bryan Sellers secured the title win one race before the end of the season. The third-place finish on the Indianapolis podium was enough for the Paul Miller Racing drivers to become champions in both the GTD overall standings and the Sprint Cup, which they had won in 2022. On their way to the title, Snow and Sellers celebrated five class victories in the #1 BMW M4 GT3, more than any other team in the GTD class before. At Road Atlanta’s Petit Le Mans in October, they now have the chance to win the Endurance Cup title as well. At Indianapolis, the two BMW M4 GT3s from Turner Motorsport finished fifth and seventh in the GTD category.

Reactions after the race:

GT World Challenge Europe: BMW M Team WRT wins the Sunday race at Valencia.

Jeff Seabrook BMW Racing News Sunday September 17, 2023

Dries Vanthoor and Charles Weerts (both BEL) celebrated their first season victory in the Sprint Cup during Sunday's race of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS (GTWC) at Valencia (ESP). After 36 laps on the Circuit Ricardo Tormo, they crossed the finish line first in a race marked by safety car periods.

Valencia. Dries Vanthoor and Charles Weerts (both BEL) celebrated their first season victory in the Sprint Cup during Sunday's race of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS (GTWC) at Valencia (ESP). After 36 laps on the Circuit Ricardo Tormo, they crossed the finish line first in a race marked by safety car periods. The duo had started from 13th place in the fourth round of the Sprint Cup. Skillful driving and an excellent race strategy from the BMW M Team WRT were the decisive factors for their victory. In the Saturday race, Vanthoor and Weerts were already the highest-placed BMW drivers. Starting from 15th place, they narrowly missed the podium, finishing in fifth position.

It was a weekend of ups and downs at Valencia. Like the entire BMW M Team WRT, Valentino Rossi (ITA) and Maxime Martin (BEL) in the #46 BMW M4 GT3 faced issues in Saturday's qualifying. However, in the race, they displayed great determination. After a spirited comeback, they gained 14 positions and secured a spot in the top ten, finishing in eighth place. In Sunday's qualifying, Martin showcased his skills in the rain. The Belgian driver coped well with the challenging conditions on the slippery but drying track and secured third position. Unfortunately, he was forced onto the grass at the start, resulting in an overheating engine of the #46 BMW M4 GT3 due to blocked coolers, which led to an early retirement.

Niklas Krütten (GER) and Calan Williams (AUS) had a disappointing weekend with a retirement of the #30 BMW M4 GT3 on Saturday and an 18th-place finish on Sunday. Thomas Neubauer and Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer (both FRA) finished 16th and 29th, respectively, in their #31 BMW M4 GT3 in both Valencia races.

Reactions after the races:

BMW M Team RLL looking to return to the IMSA GTP podium at Indianapolis.

Jeff Seabrook BMW Racing News Wednesday September 13, 2023

The penultimate round of the 2023 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IMSA series) leads BMW M Team RLL to an iconic race track: the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (USA), also known as ‘The Brickyard’ hosts this coming weekend’s event (15th to 17th September). BMW M Team RLL aims to return to the IMSA GTP podium with the new BMW M Hybrid V8 at Indianapolis.

Munich. The penultimate round of the 2023 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IMSA series) leads BMW M Team RLL to an iconic race track: the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (USA), also known as ‘The Brickyard’ hosts this coming weekend’s event (15th to 17th September). BMW M Team RLL aims to return to the IMSA GTP podium with the new BMW M Hybrid V8 at Indianapolis. The #25 BMW M Hybrid V8, victorious this season at Watkins Glen (USA) and on the podium at Sebring, Long Beach (both USA) and Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CAN), will again be driven by Connor De Phillippi (USA) and Nick Yelloly (GBR). Augusto Farfus (BRA) and Philipp Eng (AUT) share duties in the #24 car.

Recently the team participated in a two-day test at the Speedway with drivers De Phillippi, Colton Herta (USA), and Jesse Krohn (FIN). The second day of the test ended with the #25 and #24 BMW M Hybrid V8s at the top of the timing sheets. Eng, Farfus, and Yelloly completed ‘Driver In Loop’ tests for Indianapolis to continue the development of the team’s race performance.

BMW Team RLL team members do have history at ‘The Brickyard’. Team Principal Bobby Rahal (USA) won the 1986 Indy 500. De Phillippi and Farfus won the 8 Hour Intercontinental GT Challenge race at Indy in 2020, driving a Walkenhorst Motorsport BMW M6 GT3 along with Nick Catsburg (NED). Yelloly finished second in the team’s sister BMW, co-driving with David Pittard (GBR) and Marco Wittmann (GER).

In the GT Daytona class, three BMW M4 GT3s will compete. With five victories in this season so far, Bryan Sellers and Madison Snow (both USA) continue to lead the GTD class points with the #1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3. Turner Motorsport brings two BMW M4 GT3s for Robby Foley and Patrick Gallagher (both USA) and for Bill Auberlen and Chandler Hull (both USA).

The two-hour-and-forty-minute race at Indianapolis gets underway on Sunday, 17th September at 12:10 local time (19:10 CEST).

Quotes ahead of the Road America race.

BMW M Motorsport News, 12th September 2023

Jeff Seabrook BMW Racing News Tuesday September 12, 2023

Björn Lellmann, Head of Customer Racing at BMW M Motorsport:

“The BMW M4 GT3 sparkled in the hands of our customer teams this past weekend. With victory in the British GT Championship and the double win in the NLS, our teams Century Motorsport and Walkenhorst Motorsport have positioned themselves well for the end-of-season race. The BMW M4 GT4 also brought home more successes in the NLS, ADAC GT4 Germany, and the GT4 European Series. Not forgetting the many other entrants in the NLS, who brought home an incredible 15 class wins overall. Congratulations to all the teams and drivers, I look forward to the many thrilling battles for titles in the coming weeks.”

Top topics in this newsletter:

NLS: Perfect weekend for Walkenhorst Motorsport.
British GT Championship: Dan Harper and Darren Leung triumph at Brands Hatch.
ADAC GT4 Germany: BMW M Motorsport teams with trio of podiums.
BMW M2 Cup: Leyton Fourie takes an important step in the battle for the title.

NLS: Perfect weekend for Walkenhorst Motorsport.

There were two six-hour races on two days at the highlight of the Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS) season last weekend. The big winner of the “12h Nürburgring” (GER) was the Walkenhorst Motorsport team. Christian Krognes (NOR) and Jakub Giermaziak (POL) in the #34 BMW M4 GT3 won both races in impressive style. In the first race on Saturday, the duo fought their way up the field from the final starting position in their group to P1. Krognes and Giermaziak started Sunday’s race from sixth on the grid, but it wasn’t long before they took the lead and enjoyed a commanding win, finishing almost three minutes ahead of their team-mates Niklas Krütten (GER) and Dylan Pereira (LUX) in the #35 BMW M4 GT3. The crew of car number 34 are at the top of the team standings in both the highest class, SP9 Pro, and in the NLS Speed Trophy, with two races to go before the end of the season. In Walkenhorst Motorsport’s Pro-Am car, BMW M works driver Charles Weerts (BEL) made his GT3 debut at the Nordschleife. However, the #36 BMW M4 GT3 retired from both races.

The BMW M Motorsport teams celebrated a total of 15 class wins in the two races with separate classifications at the weekend. In addition to Walkenhorst Motorsport’s successes in the SP9 Pro category, it was the two SP10 successes for the #187 BMW M4 GT4 of FK Performance Motorsport that stood out in particular. With their two wins in the VT2-R+4WD class, Philipp Leisen, Oskar Sandberg, and Daniel Zils (all GER) of Adrenalin Motorsport Team Motec in the #1 BMW 330i defended their lead in the NLS overall standings. The BMW M Motorsport teams and drivers claimed further wins in the classes BMW M240i, BMW M2 CS, V4, SP4, SP6 and H4. Samantha Tan (CAN) was one of the drivers at the wheel of Schnitzelalm Racing’s BMW M240i Racing, to get her permit. She and her crew won the race on Saturday and finished third on Sunday.

DTM: Sheldon van der Linde and René Rast secure top-ten finishes in a challenging weekend.

Jeff Seabrook BMW Racing News Sunday September 10, 2023

The sixth DTM race weekend of the season at the Sachsenring (GER) demanded determination from the BMW M Motorsport teams and drivers. The track layout didn’t play to the strengths of the BMW M4 GT3, and the car's classification also didn't help in reaching the podium. Sheldon van der Linde (RSA) achieved the best result for BMW M Motorsport with a sixth-place finish on Saturday.

Sachsenring. The sixth DTM race weekend of the season at the Sachsenring (GER) demanded determination from the BMW M Motorsport teams and drivers. The track layout didn’t play to the strengths of the BMW M4 GT3, and the car's classification also didn't help in reaching the podium. Sheldon van der Linde (RSA) achieved the best result for BMW M Motorsport with a sixth-place finish on Saturday. His Schubert Motorsport teammate, René Rast (GER), secured eighth place in both races. Marco Wittmann (GER) made his race debut at the Sachsenring, finishing twelfth and earning points on Sunday.

The main issue was the BMW M4 GT3's lack of one-lap speed in qualifying. Starting from midfield or even backfield positions, the fight for podium places became challenging, even though the BMW M Motorsport drivers made strong comebacks in the races. Rast moved from 18th place on Saturday and 15th place on Sunday to finish eighth in both races. Wittmann improved from 22nd to twelfth on Sunday and from 24th to 18th on Saturday. Van der Linde secured his sixth place from eleventh on the starting grid on Saturday. However, he retired on Sunday after a collision on the first lap. Sandro Holzem (GER) in the #56 BMW M4 GT3 from Team Project 1 finished 20th and 16th.

In the driver standings, defending champion van der Linde is currently fourth with 113 points, with four races left in the season. In the team standings, Schubert Motorsport is also in fourth place with 192 points.

Reactions to the DTM weekend at the Sachsenring:

Grand appearance for BMW M Motorsport race cars at the Nürburgring.

Jeff Seabrook BMW Racing News Thursday September 7, 2023

A spectacular motor racing show awaits tens of thousands of fans this Saturday, in the form of Red Bull Formula Nürburgring. The event, which forms part of the 12-hour race weekend in the Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS), attracts big stars and legendary cars from all motorsport classes to the Eifel region of Germany. BMW M, BMW M Motorsport and BMW Group Classic will play big roles.

Munich. A spectacular motor racing show awaits tens of thousands of fans this Saturday, in the form of Red Bull Formula Nürburgring. The event, which forms part of the 12-hour race weekend in the Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS), attracts big stars and legendary cars from all motorsport classes to the Eifel region of Germany. BMW M, BMW M Motorsport and BMW Group Classic will play big roles. Spectators will be able to marvel at vintage BMW race cars and BMW M safety cars on the track – including the Nordschleife. Among those taking their place behind the wheel will be BMW M works drivers Philipp Eng (AUT) and Jens Klingmann (GER).

The Müllenbachschleife at the Nürburgring (GER) will be the venue for 30,000 spectators watching Red Bull Formula Nürburgring – a show of superlative motor racing, combining big stars and show runs from iconic cars.

Historic BMW race cars will form an instrumental part of the event. Not only will they be in action on the Grand Prix circuit, but most of them also on the Nordschleife. The BMW V12 LMR, which won the 24 Hours of Le Mans (FRA) in 1999, will be driven by Markus Flasch, Senior Vice President Product Lines Rolls-Royce, BMW Luxury Class and BMW Midsize Class. HRH Prince Leopold of Bavaria will be at the wheel of the BMW M1 Procar, Jens Klingmann the BMW M3 E30 and Philipp Eng the BMW Z4 GT3 with the Michel Vaillant livery, which competed in the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (BEL) in 2015. Ralf Schumacher (GER) will thrill fans with a drive in the BMW Williams FW25, with which he fought for the Formula 1 World Championship in 2003.

BMW M GmbH will present a number of cars from its spectacular fleet of MotoGP™ Safety Cars. BMW M is in its 25^th season as “Official Car of MotoGP™” in 2023, and is taking BMW M4 Safety Cars from various generations, a BMW M3 Safety Car, a BMW M6 Safety Car and a BMW M8 Safety Car to the Nürburgring. The Red Bull Driftbrothers will also be part of the show with their BMW M4 cars, which have been specially set up for drifting.

Red Bull Formula Nürburgring is also bringing a host of Formula 1 legends to the Nürburgring – both cars and drivers. Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel (GER) will be there, together with world championship runner-up David Coulthard (GBR) and current Formula 1 driver Yuki Tsunoda (JPN).

GT World Challenge Europe: BMW M Team WRT secures a podium finish at Hockenheim in the Sprint Cup.

Jeff Seabrook BMW Racing News Sunday September 3, 2023

The BMW M Team WRT secured another podium finish during the third race weekend of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS (GTWC) Sprint Cup at the Hockenheimring (GER). Dries Vanthoor and Charles Weerts (both BEL) finished third in the #32 BMW M4 GT3 in the Saturday race. On Sunday, they secured fifth place.

Hockenheim. The BMW M Team WRT secured another podium finish during the third race weekend of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS (GTWC) Sprint Cup at the Hockenheimring (GER). Dries Vanthoor and Charles Weerts (both BEL) finished third in the #32 BMW M4 GT3 in the Saturday race. On Sunday, they secured fifth place. Valentino Rossi (ITA) and Maxime Martin (BEL) pulled off a spectacular comeback on Saturday in car #46, starting from 35th place and finishing in eighth position. On Sunday, they finished seventh.

Even though no BMW M4 GT3 managed to break into the top three in the Sunday race at Hockenheim for the first time this Sprint Cup season, both driver pairings collected crucial points in the overall standings despite challenging prerequisites compared to some competitors. Vanthoor and Weerts are currently in third place in the standings after six out of ten races, while Rossi and Martin are in fifth place.

In the Gold Cup, Niklas Krütten (GER) and Calan Williams (AUS) celebrated a class victory on Saturday with the #30 BMW M4 GT3. However, a tyre issue early in the race on Sunday set them back, and they couldn't achieve more than fourth place in the Gold Cup. Nevertheless, they lead the driver standings in their category. Thomas Neubauer and Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer (both FRA) finished eleventh in both races in the #31 BMW M4 GT3.

Reactions after the races:

BMW M Team WRT is testing the BMW M Hybrid V8 at Spa-Francorchamps – BMW M4 GT3 EVO is set to arrive in 2025.

Jeff Seabrook BMW Racing News Friday September 1, 2023

The preparation of the BMW M Hybrid V8 for its entry into the FIA WEC in 2024 continued this week with three days of testing at Spa-Francorchamps (BEL). The BMW M Team WRT gained further valuable insights on its home track from Wednesday to Friday. Simultaneously, BMW M Motorsport tested the BMW M4 GT3 EVO, the improved successor to the current BMW M4 GT3. This upgraded version of the vehicle will compete from the 2025 season onwards.

Spa-Francorchamps. The preparation of the BMW M Hybrid V8 for its entry into the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC) in 2024 continued this week with three days of testing at Spa-Francorchamps (BEL). The BMW M Team WRT gained further valuable insights on its home track from Wednesday to Friday. Simultaneously, BMW M Motorsport tested the BMW M4 GT3 EVO, the improved successor to the current BMW M4 GT3. This upgraded version of the vehicle will compete from the 2025 season onwards .

In total, eight BMW M works drivers shared the testing duties with both vehicles. Robin Frijns (NED), Maxime Martin (BEL), René Rast (GER), Marco Wittmann (GER), and Nick Yelloly (GBR) were behind the wheel of the BMW M Hybrid V8. Particularly Yelloly, as regular driver, and Wittmann, who participated at Daytona and Sebring (both USA), brought their experience from the race outings of the LMDh prototype in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship 2023. Augusto Farfus (BRA), Jens Klingmann (GER) and Bruno Spengler (CAN) shared duties testing the BMW M4 GT3 EVO.

The efforts of the BMW M Team WRT with the carbon-black BMW M Hybrid V8 focused on optimising systems and performance. Like most drivers, the Belgian team is still at the stage of getting acquainted with and understanding the intricacies of the complex vehicle.

The BMW M4 GT3 EVO starts its testing phase early. BMW M Motorsport will utilise the remainder of the 2023 season and the entirety of the 2024 season for intensive work on refining the already highly successful BMW M4 GT3. Emphasis will be on expanding vehicle functionalities, enhancing component reliability, improving handling for the teams, and further enhancing drivability.

Reactions after the test:

BMW M Motorsport News, 28th August 2023

Jeff Seabrook BMW Racing News Tuesday August 29, 2023

Björn Lellmann, Head of Customer Racing at BMW M Motorsport:

“Over the past weekend, the focus was clearly on the IMSA race weekend in Virginia. It's incredible how successful the BMW M Motorsport teams presented themselves in all the racing series there. Congratulations to Paul Miller Racing and Turner Motorsport for their one-two result in the GTD class with the BMW M4 GT3! This marks the fifth class win for Paul Miller Racing in this IMSA season, which is a fantastic record that all team members can be very proud of. Now, in the final two races, the goal is to clinch the well-deserved championship title. I wish them the best of luck for that! I was also greatly pleased with the wins and podium finishes for the BMW M4 GT4 in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge and the VP Racing SportsCar Challenge. Congratulations to Turner Motorsport and Stephen Cameron Racing!”

IMSA Series: Paul Miller Racing and Turner Motorsport celebrate double victory.

During the past weekend, as part of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IMSA Series), the GT3 cars exclusively took the stage for the second time this season at Virginia International Raceway (USA). In the GTD class, the BMW M4 GT3 was clearly dominant. Paul Miller Racing, with Madison Snow and Bryan Sellers (both USA), impressively secured their fifth class win of the season, setting a new IMSA record in the process. At the end of the 2 hour and 40 minutes race, the #1 BMW M4 GT3 finished third overall and as class winner, more than twelve seconds ahead of Turner Motorsport’s #96 BMW M4 GT3. Robby Foley and Patrick Gallagher (both USA) showcased their fuel-saving skills and sealed the one-two result for the BMW M Motorsport teams as the second-placed finishers. Bill Auberlen and Chandler Hull (both USA) were positioned third in Turner Motorsport’s #97 BMW M4 GT3 until shortly before the finish, but had to concede one position, narrowly missing the GTD podium. With two races left in the season, Paul Miller Racing is on the verge of defending their title in the IMSA Sprint Cup and leads the GTD class driver and team standings significantly. BMW holds the top spot in the manufacturer standings. The next IMSA race is scheduled for 17^th September at Indianapolis (USA), where BMW M Team RLL with the BMW M Hybrid V8 will rejoin the action.