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Imola, 17-21 April 2024. BMW M Motorsport. FIA World Endurance Championship, FIA WEC, Team WRT, #46 BMW M4 GT3, LMGT3, Maxime Martin, Valentino Rossi, Ahmad Al Harthy.

FIA WEC at Spa-Francorchamps, IMSA at Laguna Seca: Second consecutive double-header weekend.

Jeff Seabrook 2024 FIA WEC Wednesday May 8, 2024

For the second consecutive time, BMW M Motorsport is facing a double-header race weekend in the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC) and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IMSA Series).

Spa-Francorchamps/Laguna Seca. For the second consecutive time, BMW M Motorsport is facing a double-header race weekend in the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC) and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IMSA Series). At Spa-Francorchamps (BEL), Belgian BMW M Team WRT will compete with two BMW M Hybrid V8s and two BMW M4 GT3s in its home race in the FIA WEC. At Laguna Seca (USA), the fourth IMSA race of the year is on the schedule. BMW M Team RLL will enter two BMW M Hybrid V8s in the race. Paul Miller Racing and Turner Motorsport will start with the BMW M4 GT3 in the GTD classes.

FIA WEC: Home race for BMW M Team WRT in Belgium.

After the home race comes another home race. After BMW M works driver Valentino Rossi (ITA) recently thrilled Italian fans at Imola (ITA), it is now his team's turn. At Spa-Francorchamps, BMW M Team WRT tries to continue the clear upward trend in the FIA WEC in front of the Belgian home crowd. After sixth place for Robin Frijns (NED), René Rast (GER), and Sheldon van der Linde (RSA) with the #20 BMW M Hybrid V8 at Imola, the goal is to further establish themselves in the leading group among the hypercars in the third race since the comeback. Raffaele Marciello (SUI), Dries Vanthoor (BEL), and Marco Wittmann (GER) will compete in the sister #15 car.

In the LMGT3 class, there was a fantastic one-two result for the two BMW M4 GT3s to celebrate at Imola. Augusto Farfus (BRA), Sean Gelael (INA), and Darren Leung (GBR) achieved the first victory for a BMW M Motorsport car in the history of the FIA WEC in the #31 BMW M4 GT3. Second place at his home race went to Rossi, who shared the cockpit of the #46 BMW M4 GT3 with Maxime Martin (BEL) and Ahmad Al Harthy (OMA). Both crews now compete at Spa-Francorchamps to attack for the podium places again and collect more points in the world championship. Victory at the 24-hour race in 2023 proved that the course is good for the BMW M4 GT3.

The race at Spa-Francorchamps starts on Saturday at 13:00 CEST.

Brands Hatch (GBR), 4-5 May 2024. Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS, GTWC, BMW M Team WRT, #32 BMW M4 GT3, Dries Vanthoor, Charles Weerts.

GT World Challenge Europe: BMW M Team WRT kicks off 2024 Sprint Cup season with a victory.

Jeff Seabrook 2024 Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Sunday May 5, 2024

BMW M Team WRT has started the 2024 season of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Sprint Cup with a victory. Dries Vanthoor and Charles Weerts (both BEL) won the first of two races held on Sunday at Brands Hatch (GBR) in the #32 BMW M4 GT3.

Brands Hatch. BMW M Team WRT has started the 2024 season of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Sprint Cup with a victory. Dries Vanthoor and Charles Weerts (both BEL) won the first of two races held on Sunday at Brands Hatch (GBR) in the #32 BMW M4 GT3. Their teammates, Valentino Rossi (ITA) and Maxime Martin (BEL), who are participating in individual starts in the Sprint Cup with the #46 BMW M4 GT3, were unrewarded for their strong performances.

Starting from third place, Vanthoor brought the #32 car up to second before the driver change. With a perfect and swift pit stop, BMW M Team WRT ensured that Weerts returned to the track as the leader. After an hour of racing, the team celebrated a well-deserved victory for Vanthoor and Weerts. Rossi/Martin finished fifth but dropped to 15th due to a time penalty.

In the second race, Martin and Rossi managed to climb up to a temporary sixth from 11th on the grid. However, a few minutes before the end, while lying in P8, Rossi reported steering issues and had to head into the pits. Weerts and Vanthoor, starting tenth, crossed the finish line in seventh.

In the Silver Cup, Team WRT’s #30 BMW M4 GT3 was successful: Sam De Haan (GBR) and Calan Williams (AUS) finished the two races in second and third positions in the class, respectively, securing podiums in their category.

Reactions after the races at Brands Hatch:

Oschersleben (GER), 26-28 April 2024. GT4 Germany, ADAC, Motorsport Arena Oschersleben, Round 1, #47 FK Performance Motorsport, BMW M4 GT4

BMW M Motorsport News, 6th May 2024.

Jeff Seabrook BMW Motorsport News Sunday May 5, 2024

In our BMW M Motorsport News, we regularly offer you a selection of photos as well as a compact and informative overview of the racing action in various championships worldwide and the successes of the BMW M Motorsport teams.

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

"The BMW M Motorsport teams have celebrated numerous successes worldwide with the BMW M4 GT3, BMW M4 GT4, and BMW M2 CS Racing cars in recent weeks. We have been able to cheer for victories and podiums in Germany, Europe, North America, and Asia. This once again underlines how strong the customer racing programme is internationally at BMW M Motorsport. I congratulate all the winners and look forward to the next successes that we can celebrate together."

Italian GT Championship (3^rd-5^th May): Hesse and Klingmann triumph at Misano.

The BMW Italia Ceccato Racing team started the Italian GT Championship season at Misano (ITA) with two victories. In the Sunday race, BMW M works drivers Max Hesse and Jens Klingmann (both GER) triumphed with the #7 BMW M4 GT3. At the same time, in the sister #8 car, Pedro Ebrahim (BRA) and Federico Malvestiti (ITA) won the Pro-Am class. In the first race on Saturday, Hesse fought for third place until the last lap but then retired due to a technical defect. Ebrahim and Malvestiti finished fourth in their class. “This is a victory for the team,” said Hesse. “The guys did an incredible job rebuilding the car after my accident following the technical defect on Saturday. Thanks to everyone for the fantastic effort!” Klingmann added: “After our big misfortune on Saturday, we managed to turn the weekend around with the victory on Sunday. It was anything but certain that we could even start. We owe this to the great work of the entire team led by Roberto Ravaglia. For me personally, it is the first victory at Misano, which I am very happy about.”

DTM, 1. Lauf, Motorsport Arena Oschersleben, Deutschland, 26.- 28. April 2024, #2 Hofor Racing by Bonk Motorsport, BMW M4 GT4.

DTM Opener in Oschersleben: Schubert Motorsport experiences rollercoaster of emotions at home round.

Jeff Seabrook 2024 DTM Sunday April 28, 2024

Schubert Motorsport kicked off the 2024 DTM with their home round at Oschersleben and experienced a rollercoaster of emotions. Sheldon van der Linde finished the two races in fourth and sixth positions, respectively. René Rast also scored points with two seventh-place finishes. Marco Wittmann led the Saturday race in the closing stages, but retired due to fuel pressure issues. On Sunday, Wittmann secured points with a tenth-place finish.

Oschersleben. Schubert Motorsport kicked off the 2024 DTM season with their home round at Oschersleben (GER) and experienced a rollercoaster of emotions just outside their headquarters. Sheldon van der Linde (RSA) finished the two eventful races on Saturday and Sunday in fourth and sixth positions, respectively. René Rast (GER) also scored points with two seventh-place finishes in both races. Marco Wittmann (GER) led the Saturday race in the closing stages, but retired just before the finish due to fuel pressure issues. On Sunday, Wittmann secured points with a tenth-place finish.

The first race on Saturday already provided fans at Oschersleben with plenty of excitement. With a tactical masterpiece, Schubert Motorsport brought Wittmann in the #11 Schaeffler BMW M4 GT3, starting from 19th, into the lead. However, just before the end, with victory in sight, Wittmann rolled to a stop on the start-finish straight due to fuel pressure issues. Van der Linde fought in the #31 Shell BMW M4 GT3 until the finish line for a podium finish, ultimately finishing fourth with a narrow gap. Rast secured points in seventh place in the #33 RoboMarkets BMW M4 GT3.

After a challenging qualifying session on Sunday, all three BMW M works drivers staged a comeback in the second race, moving up from the back of the field. However, van der Linde suffered an early setback when he couldn’t avoid a collision ahead of him at the start. The South African resumed the race in last place and worked his way up position by position. Eventually, he finished sixth, followed directly by Rast, who again was seventh. Wittmann completed the points positions in tenth place.

In the support programme, the ADAC GT Masters and the ADAC GT4 Germany also kicked off the 2024 season – with successes for the BMW M4 GT3 and the BMW M4 GT4. In the ADAC GT Masters, Maxime Oosten (NED) secured pole position for FK Performance Motorsport in Saturday’s qualifying. In the first race, he celebrated victory together with teammate Leon Köhler (GER) in the #54 BMW M4 GT3. In the ADAC GT4 Germany, Gabriele Piana (ITA) and Michael Schrey (GER) in the Hofor Racing by Bonk Motorsport #2 BMW M4 GT4 secured pole position and victory in race one on Saturday. Their teammates, Leon Wassertheurer and Tim Reiter (both GER), secured third place on the podium in the #3 BMW M4 GT4. In Sunday’s qualifying, Reiter claimed pole position. Piana and Schrey celebrated their second win of the weekend in Sunday’s race.

Comments after the DTM season opener: