Andrea Schwab
BMW Group
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Andrea Schwab
BMW Group
Munich. The squad of works drivers at BMW M Motorsport for the 2023 season includes more prominent newcomers. Belgians Dries Vanthoor and Charles Weerts receive works driver contracts and join the BMW M Motorsport family. They will compete with BMW M Team WRT in the coming season, among other outings. The initial race programmes for the BMW M Motorsport teams and works drivers have also been confirmed. They include appearances in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with the new BMW M Hybrid V8, as well as starts with the BMW M4 GT3 in GT World Challenge Europe, the Intercontinental GT Challenge and the Nürburgring 24 Hours (GER). More race programmes – including the DTM that is undergoing a major transformation at the moment – are being planned and will be announced at a later date.
“After celebrating 50 years of BMW M and looking back on the glorious history of BMW M and BMW M Motorsport in 2022, we have an exciting season ahead of us in 2023 on the road to the future of motor racing,” said Franciscus van Meel, CEO of BMW M GmbH. “Taking centre stage is the BMW M Hybrid V8, which will be the first hybrid race car from BMW M Motorsport to appear in the IMSA series. The car is the symbol of the transformation of BMW M towards electrification, meaning it also plays a crucial role beyond motorsport. I am looking forward to the races with BMW M Team RLL and the parallel test work being undertaken by BMW M Team WRT, which will start with the BMW M Hybrid V8 in the FIA World Endurance Championship from 2024. I will also have my fingers crossed for all the teams and drivers doing battle for victories and titles in 2023 with the BMW M4 GT3, the new BMW M4 GT4 and the BMW M2 CS Racing.”
Andreas Roos, Head of BMW M Motorsport, said: “After a successful 2022, including title wins in the DTM, we are shifting up another gear next year. We have improved what was already a very strong squad of works drivers with René Rast, Maxime Martin, Dries Vanthoor and Charles Weerts. On the team side, we are continuing our collaborations, which have grown over many years, including with BMW M Team RLL, BMW M Team RMG and ROWE Racing. Of course, we also plan to continue with our DTM champion team Schubert Motorsport, although we weren’t able to fix anything yet due to the current DTM situation. We also welcome BMW M Team WRT as a new BMW M Motorsport team. We are facing some exciting sporting challenges in 2023 and the years to come, for which we need the best teams and drivers. After all, the goal is to add to the success story of the BMW brand in motor racing.”
The 2023 works drivers.
Vanthoor and Weerts are the latest members of the BMW M Motorsport family. 24-year-old Vanthoor can already look back on some impressive successes. He has won the Nürburgring 24 Hours twice (2019, 2022), was Sprint Cup Champion on three occasions in GT World Challenge Europe (2020, 2021, 2022) and was crowned overall champion in GT World Challenge Europe in 2021. Vanthoor has also tasted victory at the 24h Dubai (UAE), the 12h Bathurst (AUS) and took class victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (FRA).
Weerts is 21 years old and has enjoyed success alongside Vanthoor in the past. This includes winning the title in the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup in 2020, 2021 and 2022, as well as the overall title in the 2021 GT World Challenge Europe.
The BMW M Motorsport squad for the 2023 season now comprises 20 works drivers, including newcomers René Rast (GER) and Maxime Martin (BEL), who were announced a while ago. Other drivers without a works driver contract will also start for BMW M Motorsport in races and tests in BMW M race cars.
Debut season for the BMW M Hybrid V8 in North America.
A new era dawns in 2023 when the new BMW M Hybrid V8 contests its debut season in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in North America. BMW M Team RLL will field two new hybrid prototypes in the highest class - GTP. They will be driven by Connor De Phillippi (USA), Nick Yelloly (GBR), Philipp Eng (AUT) and Augusto Farfus (BRA). Sheldon van der Linde (RSA) and Marco Wittmann (GER) will bolster the IMSA squad in the BMW M Hybrid V8 at the endurance races at Daytona and Sebring (both USA). Colton Herta (USA) will also be involved at the season-opener, the 24 Hours of Daytona in January.
BMW M Team WRT in IGTC and GTWC.
BMW M Team WRT will run a double programme with the BMW M4 GT3 in 2023, both in GT World Challenge Europe and at races in the Intercontinental GT Challenge. The works programme for BMW M Team WRT begins with the 12h Bathurst on the first weekend of February. The exact driver line-ups for the team’s BMW M4 GT3 will be announced at a later date. Before travelling to Australia, the team will use the 24 Hours of Dubai in January to gain experience with the BMW M4 GT3 under race conditions, as part of a customer outing organised by the team itself. At the same time, BMW M Team WRT will also be preparing for the 2024 season, in which it will appear in the FIA World Endurance Championship with the BMW M Hybrid V8.
ROWE Racing in GTWC Endurance and at the Nürburgring 24 Hours.
The 24-hour race on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife is one of the highlights of the race calendar every year. It has already been confirmed that 2020 winners ROWE Racing will again start the classic in the Eifel mountains with two BMW M4 GT3s for BMW M Motorsport. The team is also planned to continue to race in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup with two works-supported BMW M4 GT3s next season.
BMW M Team RMG: 24h Nürburgring contender and development team.
Parallel to the many race outings, BMW M Motorsport will also continue its development work with various BMW M race cars in 2023. BMW M Team RMG remains largely responsible for the test and development work. In addition to that, the Andernach-based team will again compete in its home race with the BMW M4 GT3, the Nürburgring 24 Hours.
Race action and new roles for Bruno Spengler.
BMW M works driver Bruno Spengler (CAN) will be behind the wheel of the BMW M4 GT3 in 2023 and contest multiple international races next season. He will also have a bigger role within the BMW family in other areas. Spengler will be BMW SIM Racing Ambassador and BMW Group Classic Ambassador from 2023.
BMW M works drivers 2023 (in alphabetical order).
Name | Date of Birth | BMW M works driver since |
Jake Dennis (GBR) | 16th June 1995 | 2021 |
Connor De Phillippi (USA) | 25th December 1992 | 2018 |
John Edwards (USA) | 11th March 1991 | 2013 |
Philipp Eng (AUT) | 28th February 1990 | 2016 |
Augusto Farfus (BRA) | 3rd September 1983 | 2007 |
Dan Harper (GBR) | 8th December 2000 | 2020 |
Colton Herta (USA) | 30th March 2000 | 2023 |
Max Hesse (GER) | 23rd July 2001 | 2020 |
Erik Johansson (SWE) | 16th October 1996 | 2019 |
Jens Klingmann (GER) | 16th July 1990 | 2014 |
Jesse Krohn (FIN) | 3rd September 1990 | 2014 |
Maxime Martin (BEL) | 20th March 1986 | 2023 (2013 – 2017) |
René Rast (GER) | 26th October 1986 | 2023 |
Bruno Spengler (CAN) | 23rd August 1983 | 2012 |
Sheldon van der Linde (RSA) | 13th May 1999 | 2019 |
Dries Vanthoor (BEL) | 20th April 1998 | 2023 |
Neil Verhagen (USA) | 18th February 2001 | 2020 |
Charles Weerts (BEL) | 1st March 2001 | 2023 |
Marco Wittmann (GER) | 24th November 1989 | 2012 |
Nick Yelloly (GBR) | 3rd December 1990 | 2019 |
At the first race of the Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS), the BMW M Motorsport teams kicked off the 2025 Nordschleife season. In preparation for the 24-hour race in June, the #98 ROWE Racing BMW M4 GT3 EVO, with drivers Augusto Farfus (BRA), Jesse Krohn (FIN), Raffaele Marciello (SUI), and Kelvin van der Linde (RSA), finished fifth after four hours of racing.
BMW M Motorsport and ROWE Racing will compete on 21st/22nd June 2025 in the Green Hell to continue their joint success story at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring (GER). After the team secured BMW's 20th and most recent overall victory in the Eifel region in 2020, the 21st triumph is now the major goal.
Decorated with five driver and two team titles, BMW M Motorsport enters the DTM season 2025. Schubert Motorsport is aiming to defend their team title with two new BMW M4 GT3 EVO cars, as well as seeking their second driver's title since 2022.
The anniversary weekend in Sebring (USA), celebrating the 50th birthday of BMW of North America, brought both highlights and setbacks for BMW M Motorsport. The 73rd edition of the famous Twelve Hours of Sebring marked the second round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IWSC).
The 73rd edition of the Twelve Hours of Sebring (USA) this coming Saturday, 15th March, is all about a significant anniversary. BMW North America celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, and the endurance classic in Florida plays a special role in this history. The story of BMW North America began in 1975 with the victory of the BMW 3.0 CSL at Sebring.
Since the 2015 season, Shell and BMW M Motorsport have been partners and have celebrated many successes together. Now, the collaboration is entering a new decade with the extension and simultaneous expansion of their joint contract.
BMW M Motorsport will be represented with a large contingent of teams, drivers, and cars in the 2025 GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS season. ROWE Racing and Team WRT will deploy BMW M works drivers.
At the season-opener of the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC) in Qatar, the BMW M Hybrid V8 and the BMW M4 GT3 EVO delivered strong performances, making a significant impact in the competition against the world's top manufacturers.
On the weekend before the season opener of the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC) in Qatar, four BMW M Motorsport cars completed numerous test laps during the Prologue at the Lusail Circuit. The BMW M Hybrid V8 made a strong impression and set the fastest time. The two hypercars and the two BMW M4 GT3 EVOs were presented for the first time in their new designs.
Team WRT achieved an impressive 1-2 result with the BMW M4 GT3 at the Bathurst 12 Hour (AUS), the season opener of the Intercontinental GT Challenge (IGTC). Brothers Sheldon and Kelvin van der Linde (both RSA) triumphed alongside Augusto Farfus (BRA) in car #32. Following them, Valentino Rossi (ITA), Raffaele Marciello (SUI), and Charles Weerts (BEL) in the #46 BMW M4 GT3 secured second place.
For more than 23 hours, BMW M Team RLL and Paul Miller Racing had their sights set on victory at the 24 Hours of Daytona (USA), but a dramatic final stage dashed all hopes of a well-deserved reward for a great performance by BMW M Motorsport at the season opener of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IWSC).
A perfect season opener for the BMW M Hybrid V8 and BMW M Team RLL. In qualifying for the 24 Hours of Daytona (USA), Dries Vanthoor (BEL) drove to first place with a time of 1:33.895 minutes, securing the first pole position since the start of BMW M Motorsport's LMDh programme.
During the Roar before the 24 last weekend, BMW M Motorsport drivers and teams intensely prepared for the first season highlight of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IWSC), the 24 Hours of Daytona (USA). One week before the race, three test days featuring seven sessions were held, during which BMW M Team RLL with its two BMW M Hybrid V8s gave strong performances.
Just a few weeks after announcing the Hypercar line-up, the GT drivers who will represent BMW M Motorsport in 2025 in the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC) and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IMSA series) have been confirmed.
The new BMW M4 GT3 EVO passed its first major test with flying colours. In its racing debut at the 24H Dubai (UAE), the BMW M Motorsport new GT3 flagship celebrated overall victory as well as a class win. After 24 hours of racing, AlManar Racing by Team WRT clinched a commanding victory with the #777 BMW M4 GT3 EVO.
The BMW M Motorsport works driver line-up receives additional reinforcement at the beginning of 2025. 22-year-old Belgian Ugo de Wilde will compete in races driving the BMW M4 GT3 EVO starting from the upcoming season. His participation includes races in the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS, among others.
Starting in the 2025 season, the name Van der Linde will appear twice at BMW M Motorsport. Kelvin van der Linde (RSA) will become a BMW M works driver, following in the footsteps of his brother Sheldon, who has been part of the racing family since 2019.
BMW M Motorsport looks back on an intense 2024 season that, in addition to victories, titles, and podium finishes, has produced some other impressive figures. The three current race cars, the BMW M Hybrid V8, the BMW M4 GT3, and the BMW M4 GT4, together celebrated 215 wins, completed more than 1,000 races, and covered over one million kilometres.
In 2025, BMW M Motorsport will enter its second season in the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC) and its third in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IMSA series) with the BMW M Hybrid V8. To achieve its ambitious goals in both race series, BMW M Motorsport joins its forces in terms of driver line-up. Eight BMW M works drivers will share the driving duties for BMW M Team WRT in the FIA WEC and BMW M Team RLL in the IMSA series.
After the 2024 season, an era comes to an end at BMW M Motorsport with Bruno Spengler (CAN) leaving after 13 years as a BMW M works driver, at his own request, to face new professional challenges.
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