BMW M8 GTE to start 24-hour race from 12th and 13th place at Le Mans debut.

Le Mans. The grid order for the 24 Hours of Le Mans (FRA) is now set; after three qualifying sessions on Wednesday and Thursday, the two BMW M8 GTEs are starting their first races at the legendary “Circuit de la Sarthe” from 12^th and 13^th positions in the GTE Pro class.

In the first session on Wednesday evening, António Félix da Costa (POR) recorded a personal best of 3:50.579 minutes in the #82 car. That was enough to secure 12^th place in the very competitive GTE Pro field. In the sister #81 car, Nick Catsburg (NED) was just 0.017 seconds slower and finished in 13^th position. Pole position was claimed by Porsche with the #91 car. The race starts on Saturday at 15:00.

Reactions to qualifying for the 24 Hours of Le Mans:

António Félix da Costa (#82 BMW M8 GTE):

“It was great fun to be racing against the clock with new tyres, in the dark, on this great circuit. In general, I felt at home with the BMW M8 GTE. A glance at the times tells you that we could not keep pace with the leading group. But a 24-hour race is not decided in qualifying. I am really looking forward to Saturday and Sunday.”

Nick Catsburg (#81 BMW M8 GTE):

“Qualifying helps us to get a good feel for the potential of our car, but the best possible grid position is perhaps not the most important thing to concentrate on at a 24-hour race. Let’s see how the race goes.”