BMW.SG | BMW Singapore Owners Community The Ultimate BMW Community – Established Since 2001
The BMW M4 GT3 EVO under ROWE Racing command carved its way from the ninth row to take a memorable overall victory at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring, collecting BMW’s 21st triumph on the Nordschleife and delighting a record 280,000 trackside enthusiasts. Kelvin van der Linde, Augusto Farfus, Jesse Krohn and Raffaele Marciello pushed the factory-backed coupé to the limit, its twin-turbo straight-six thundering past rivals while the car’s refined aero package sliced clean air all the way to the flag.
Farfus launched the charge, vaulting into the top ten on lap one before a paddock power failure froze proceedings for over two hours. When racing resumed, van der Linde used fresh rubber and clear vision to jump six places in as many minutes, dragging the #98 machine from midfield congestion into the podium hunt. Nightfall brought cooler tarmac and quicker sectors; Marciello and Krohn kept tyre wear in check, banking metronomic stints that shaved a two-minute deficit to the leader by dawn.
Drama resurfaced when the leading Porsche received a time penalty, handing the initiative to the Bavarian challenger. Van der Linde managed fuel and traffic flawlessly in the closing stint, crossing the line just behind the penalised rival yet securing the victory once the sanction was upheld. For the South African, it marked a third Nürburgring 24 win, while Farfus finally returned to the top step after a fifteen-year wait. Krohn and Marciello each added a maiden Nordschleife success to their CVs, underscoring the quartet’s composure under relentless pressure.
BMW’s weekend haul did not stop there. The new BMW M2 Racing proved its durability in style, team FK Performance Motorsport steering the bright-eyed coupé to a debut class win in SP3T after a trouble-free 24-hour baptism. Seven further category victories for private-entry BMWs, including triumphs for M4 GT4 EVO and M240i racers, highlighted the brand’s depth across the grid.
With the M4 GT3 EVO’s chassis tightened by thousands of kilometres of development miles and the crew’s strategy executed to perfection, ROWE Racing’s return to the Nürburgring has set a benchmark for endurance efficiency. Next stop is Spa-Francorchamps, where the Bavarian brute will attempt to extend its winning rhythm on another Grand Prix icon.
