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The “6 Hours of Imola,” the second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC) season, delivered a stellar performance by BMW M Motorsport. The #20 BMW M Hybrid V8, driven by Robin Frijns, René Rast, and Sheldon van der Linde, secured a hard-earned second place despite an early collision, marking the team’s first FIA WEC podium finish. A strategic call to shorten the penultimate refuelling stop enabled van der Linde to push at qualifying pace, ultimately sealing second place. The sister car #15 showed promise by running third into the final hour, but ultimately finished sixth due to performance issues.
In LMGT3, the #46 BMW M4 GT3 EVO fought at the sharp end of the field, starting from pole position with Ahmad Al Harthy at the wheel. Fellow drivers Valentino Rossi and Kelvin van der Linde continued the charge, but a stop-and-go penalty following a collision hampered their bid for victory. Despite this setback, van der Linde mounted a thrilling comeback, crossing the finish line in second place to claim the BMW M4 GT3 EVO’s second podium in as many races. Meanwhile, the #31 sister car had a challenging day and finished twelfth after multiple setbacks.
BMW M Motorsport Head Andreas Roos praised the #20 BMW M Hybrid V8 crew and the #46 BMW M4 GT3 EVO squad for their tenacious performances, hailing the tactical brilliance that contributed to the second-place finishes in both categories. Team Principal Vincent Vosse echoed these sentiments while addressing the technical woes that affected car #15 and the issues that led to the #31 BMW M4 GT3 EVO dropping out of the order. The strong team results were a testament to the depth and skill within BMW M Team WRT.
René Rast attributed the #20 crew’s success to calm decision-making, minimal mistakes, and a measure of overdue good fortune, particularly after a qualifying session that left them starting 13th. Raffaele Marciello from car #15 acknowledged the frustration of losing pace late in the race. Valentino Rossi expressed a bittersweet sentiment at missing out on the LMGT3 win due to a penalty, while still celebrating his team’s second-place achievement. For the #31 crew, Augusto Farfus lamented a day where nothing seemed to fall their way, despite having a strong race pace.
With a double podium secured at Imola, BMW M Motorsport will focus on the upcoming home race at Spa-Francorchamps, aiming to further capitalise on its momentum and push for the team’s first season victory in both categories.
