IMSA and GT World Challenge Europe: BMW M Motorsport adjusts driver line-up for double-header weekend.

Munich. BMW M Motorsport is gearing up for two racing highlights this upcoming weekend. The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IMSA series) will make a stop at Indianapolis (USA), where BMW M Team RLL will field two BMW M Hybrid V8s for its home race, as Bobby Rahal’s team is based in Indianapolis. The 6-hour race, ‘Battle on the Bricks,’ is part of the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup. Meanwhile, at Monza (ITA), the fourth Endurance Cup race of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS will take place. Due to the double-header, there will be two driver changes in the ROWE Racing #98 BMW M4 GT3. Robin Frijns and Maxime Oosten (both NED) will replace regular IMSA drivers Philipp Eng (AUT) and Nick Yelloly (GBR). For Oosten, it will be his debut on the big GT stage.

The two Dutchmen will race alongside Marco Wittmann (GER) at Monza. While Frijns has already raced for ROWE Racing at the 24 Hours Nürburgring (GER), this will be Oosten’s first race with the Hans-Peter Naundorf-led team. The 20-year-old has gained attention in recent years by progressing through various BMW M Motorsport classes. In 2022, Oosten won the BMW M2 Cup championship with ease, and the following year he competed in the BMW M4 GT4 in ADAC GT4 Germany. This season, he is fighting for the title in ADAC GT Masters with FK Performance Motorsport in the BMW M4 GT3, while also participating in Fanatec GT World Challenge Asia powered by AWS.

In the second ROWE Racing BMW M4 GT3, in the design of BMW M Motorsport partner MultiBank Group, the regular trio of Augusto Farfus (BRA), Max Hesse (GER), and Dan Harper (GBR) will aim to stay in the Endurance Cup title fight. Meanwhile, BMW M Team WRT is chasing the overall title in GT World Challenge Europe with their #32 BMW M4 GT3. Dries Vanthoor and Charles Weerts (both BEL) lead the standings and will be supported by Sheldon van der Linde (RSA) at Monza. The #46 BMW M4 GT3 will feature drivers Raffaele Marciello (SUI), Maxime Martin (BEL), and Valentino Rossi (ITA). Additionally, two other BMW M4 GT3s will compete in the Bronze Cup: the #30 OQ By OMAN RACING car from Team WRT, driven by Ahmad Al Harthy (OMA), Sam De Haan (GBR), and Jens Klingmann (GER), and the #991 Century Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 with Jake Dennis, Darren Leung, and Toby Sowery (all GBR) behind the wheel.

In the IMSA series, BMW M Team RLL aims for their first podium finish of the season. In the #24 BMW M Hybrid V8, Philipp Eng will share driving duties with Jesse Krohn (FIN), while Nick Yelloly will team up with Connor De Phillippi (USA) in the #25 car. In the GTD-PRO class, Paul Miller Racing hopes to build on their recent class win in Virginia with the #1 BMW M4 GT3, driven by Madison Snow, Neil Verhagen, and Bryan Sellers (all USA). In the GTD class, Turner Motorsport’s #96 BMW M4 GT3 will feature Robby Foley, Patrick Gallagher, and Jake Walker (all USA).

Andreas Roos (Head of BMW M Motorsport): “We are facing another double-header weekend, which presents us with particular challenges in terms of personnel. However, as BMW M Motorsport, we are committed to executing a comprehensive racing programme, and we gladly embrace this challenge. We have decided to give young talent Maxime Oosten the opportunity to compete on the big GT3 stage against the best in the sport. Despite being only 20 years old, he has already gathered considerable experience in BMW M Motorsport race cars. This season, he is playing a key role in the ADAC GT Masters with FK Performance Motorsport title fight which is impressive. This weekend, he will surely learn a lot from top drivers like Marco Wittmann and Robin Frijns, as well as from a world-class team like ROWE Racing. From a sporting perspective, the goal at Monza is to keep the title fights open in both the overall standings and the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup and, ideally, to improve our position. In the IMSA series, we have another chance to return to the podium with the BMW M Hybrid V8 at the end of what has been a challenging season. I wish all teams and drivers the best of luck.”