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Zandvoort (NED), 7-9 June 2024. GT Masters, ADAC, Circuit Park Zandvoort, Round 2, #54 FK Performance Motorsport, BMW M4 GT3

DTM Zandvoort: Marco Wittmann wins after a dramatic comeback – René Rast on the podium.

Jeff Seabrook 2024 DTM Sunday June 9, 2024

The spell is broken! Marco Wittmann (GER) celebrated his first victory since the season finale in 2022 at Hockenheim (GER) after a dramatic comeback in Sunday's DTM race at Zandvoort (NED). Wittmann fought his way from 14th on the grid to the front and defended his lead in spectacular fashion. It was also the first season win for Schubert Motorsport and the BMW M4 GT3.

Zandvoort. The spell is broken! Marco Wittmann (GER) celebrated his first victory since the season finale in 2022 at Hockenheim (GER) after a dramatic comeback in Sunday's DTM race at Zandvoort (NED). Wittmann fought his way from 14th on the grid to the front and defended his lead in spectacular fashion. It was also the first season win for Schubert Motorsport and the BMW M4 GT3. In Saturday's race, René Rast (GER) secured the team's first podium of the year with a second-place finish. Wittmann's victory marked the crowning conclusion of an extraordinary weekend for the BMW M Motorsport DTM drivers .

Zandvoort, Le Mans, Zandvoort. For Wittmann, Rast, and Sheldon van der Linde (RSA), the race weekend was marked by two highlights: the DTM races in Zandvoort and the test for the 24 Hours of Le Mans (FRA). Immediately after the trio's return from France on Sunday, Wittmann clinched his 19th victory in the DTM. Rast stood on the podium for the 51st time in his DTM career on Saturday.

Wittmann started Sunday from position 14 but was able to use the strong performance of the BMW M4 GT3 to work his way forward. After his pit stop, he was in the lead, which he defended in a hard duel against Mirko Bortolotti (ITA, Lamborghini). His car’s left rear tyre was damaged and smoke developed. Fortunately, the tyre held up until the end of the race, and Wittmann was able to celebrate on the podium. In Saturday's race, the two-time DTM champion had driven from 17th on the grid to seventh.

Rast fought his way up from seventh position to second place on the podium on Saturday. A day later, he finished seventh from the last starting position. Van der Linde finished both races in sixth and eighth places. On Sunday, he made up nine places in his #31 BMW M4 GT3.

In the ADAC GT Masters, the FK Performance Motorsport duo of Maxime Oosten (NED) and Leon Köhler (GER) in the #54 BMW M4 GT3 celebrated their second season victory. On Sunday, they drove from fifth on the grid to the front and reduced their deficit in the overall standings to just eight points. In the first race on Saturday, Oosten and Köhler had fought their way forward from the last starting position to fifth after problems in qualifying. In the sister #10 car, Gregory de Sybourg (SUI) and Eduardo Coseteng (PHI) finished twelfth and ninth.

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Le Mans (FRA), 4-5 May 2024. FIA World Endurance Championship, 24h Le Mans, BMW M Hybrid V8, BMW M Team WRT, BMW V12 LMR, BMW Group Classic, photoshoot, history, heritage.

24h Le Mans: BMW M Motorsport returns to the top class after 25 years with the BMW M Hybrid V8.

Jeff Seabrook 2024 FIA WEC Friday June 7, 2024

BMW M Motorsport embarks on the most spectacular racing week of the year with the slogan “BMW M is back at Le Mans”. Exactly 25 years after the victory of the BMW V12 LMR, the start of the BMW M Hybrid V8 in the Hypercar class marks the return of the BMW brand to the top category at the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans (FRA).

Le Mans. BMW M Motorsport embarks on the most spectacular racing week of the year with the slogan “BMW M is back at Le Mans”. Exactly 25 years after the victory of the BMW V12 LMR, the start of the BMW M Hybrid V8 in the Hypercar class marks the return of the BMW brand to the top category at the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans (FRA). The #20 BMW M Hybrid V8 will play a very special role as it competes as the 20th BMW Art Car. Designed by the internationally renowned artist Julie Mehretu, the car will be a highlight in the paddock. In the LMGT3 class of the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC), two BMW M4 GT3s will compete for victory at the Circuit de la Sarthe.

In the Hypercar class, BMW M Team WRT and six BMW M works drivers face what is probably the toughest competition in current motorsport. 23 Hypercars from nine manufacturers are registered for the endurance highlight of the year. In the #15 BMW M Hybrid V8, Raffaele Marciello (SUI), Dries Vanthoor (BEL), and Marco Wittmann (GER) will take turns driving. The #20 BMW M Hybrid V8 Art Car will be raced by Robin Frijns (NED), René Rast (GER), and Sheldon van der Linde (RSA). The design of the 20th BMW Art Car by Julie Mehretu was unveiled on May 21 at the Centre Pompidou in Paris (FRA). It was created based on one of the artist’s works as a “performative painting.” More details can be found in the BMW M Motorsport Media Guide: https://b.mw/WEC_Media_Guide.

In the LMGT3 category, Team WRT fields two BMW M4 GT3s in new liveries. The #31 BMW M4 GT3 will be driven by the winners of the 6 Hours of Imola (ITA), Augusto Farfus (BRA), Sean Gelael (INA), and Darren Leung (GBR). The #46 car will be shared by Maxime Martin (BEL), Valentino Rossi (ITA), and Ahmad Al Harthy (OMA).

History of BMW at Le Mans.

Nürburg (GER), 30th May to 2nd June 2024. BMW M Motorsport, 24h Nürburgring, Intercontinental GT Challenge IGTC, BMW M Team RMG, #72 BMW M4 GT3, Dan Harper, Max Hesse, Charles Weerts, Gen2K.

Podium at the 24h Nürburgring: #72 BMW M4 GT3 classified in third place after a foggy race.

Jeff Seabrook 2024 Intercontinental GT Challenge Sunday June 2, 2024

Dense fog was the dominant theme at the 52nd edition of the 24h Nürburgring (GER). Only just under seven and a half hours could be driven under regular conditions, followed by a break of over 14 hours, before the race ended after five formation laps behind the safety car. As a result, the #72 BMW M4 GT3 of BMW M Team RMG, which started from pole position and with good chances of victory, was ultimately classified in third place.

Nürburg. Dense fog was the dominant theme at the 52nd edition of the 24h Nürburgring (GER). Only just under seven and a half hours could be driven under regular conditions, followed by a break of over 14 hours, before the race ended after five formation laps behind the safety car. As a result, the #72 BMW M4 GT3 of BMW M Team RMG, which started from pole position and with good chances of victory, was ultimately classified in third place. The result is provisional, and the official final result is still pending. The car, in the design of BMW M Motorsport Premium Technology Partner Shell, was shared by the three BMW M Motorsport Gen2K drivers Max Hesse (GER), Dan Harper (GBR), and Charles Weerts (BEL). The ROWE Racing #98 BMW M4 GT3 driven by Raffaele Marciello (SUI), Marco Wittmann (GER), Maxime Martin (BEL), and Augusto Farfus (BRA) was classified in seventh position. The ROWE Racing #99 BMW M4 GT3, in which Sheldon van der Linde (RSA), Dries Vanthoor (BEL), Robin Frijns (NED), and Farfus took turns, led the race in the early stages but retired after an unavoidable accident.

Just before the start, the 24-hour race was already typically turbulent. It began to rain on the starting grid, and tyre choice became a lottery. In the pole car, the #72 BMW M4 GT3, starting driver Harper came into the pits after the formation lap to switch to drying wets, as did Wittmann in the #98 BMW M4 GT3. Meanwhile, Farfus in the #99 had already started on those tyres and sprinted from seventh on the grid to the front of the field within 20 minutes. Behind him, Harper and Wittmann also gained position after position and worked their way back to the front. After about two hours of racing, the first driver changes took place.

Van der Linde took over the #99 car and continued to fight at the front. However, in the fourth hour of the race, the leading BMW M4 GT3 was forced to retire through no fault of its own. While lapping, van der Linde was hit on the left rear by a slower car and collided with another car. The fight for victory ended in the track barrier.

Detroit (USA), 30 May - 1 June. IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, GTP, LMDh, #24 BMW M Hybrid V8, BMW M Team RLL, Philipp Eng, Jesse Krohn.

IMSA: Disappointing race for BMW M Team RLL on the Detroit street circuit.

Jeff Seabrook 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Sunday June 2, 2024

The fifth season race of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship on the tight streets of Detroit (USA) was disappointing for the two BMW M Hybrid V8s of BMW M Team RLL. Philipp Eng (AUT) and Jesse Krohn (FIN) finished in seventh place in the #24 car. The #25 BMW M Hybrid V8 with Connor De Phillippi (USA) and Nick Yelloly (GBR) at the wheel retired after an accident

Detroit. The fifth season race of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship on the tight streets of Detroit (USA) was disappointing for the two BMW M Hybrid V8s of BMW M Team RLL. Philipp Eng (AUT) and Jesse Krohn (FIN) finished in seventh place in the #24 car. The #25 BMW M Hybrid V8 with Connor De Phillippi (USA) and Nick Yelloly (GBR) at the wheel retired after an accident .

After strong performances in practice, BMW M Team RLL had bad luck in qualifying on Friday. A red flag shortly before the end of the session prevented Eng and Yelloly from completing their fastest laps. Starting from sixth and eighth on the grid, it was very difficult to make up ground in the race on the tight circuit. After an early drive-through penalty, the #24 car could do no better than seventh place. In the #25 BMW M Hybrid V8, which was doing well in the race until the pit stop, De Phillippi initially slid straight into the tyre barriers while fighting for the lead and then retired a lap later after another impact into the track barrier with a broken rear suspension.

In the GTD-PRO class, the #1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 with Madison Snow and Bryan Sellers (both USA) at the wheel finished in fifth place.

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