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The #20 Shell BMW M Hybrid V8 has delivered a result that BMW M Motorsport had chased for more than two decades. At its third attempt, BMW M Team WRT clinched second place at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, marking the marque’s first overall podium since its 1999 victory with the BMW V12 LMR. Robin Frijns, René Rast and Sheldon van der Linde piloted the car through a tense, hard-fought race. Victory was within touching distance, yet Frijns crossed the line just 10.9 seconds adrift of the winning Toyota.
The weekend opened in style on Thursday, when the #15 BMW M Hybrid V8 of Kevin Magnussen, Raffaele Marciello and Dries Vanthoor secured the team’s maiden Le Mans pole. Come race day, the #20 crew launched from fourth and surged into the lead, heading the field for long stretches. A safety car around six hours from the finish bunched the pack together and set up a gripping fight to the chequered flag. While the #20 took its place on the rostrum, the sister #15 bowed out early after a collision, a puncture and a final technical fault.
In the LMGT3 class, the two BMW M4 GT3 EVOs began with promise from fifth and sixth on the grid. Over the long haul, though, the pair could not match the leading pace. Augusto Farfus, Sean Gelael and Darren Leung brought their car home seventh, having nailed every stop without fault. Their teammates, Dan Harper, Parker Thompson and Anthony McIntosh were forced out by a gearbox problem, ending a debut weekend that had begun with high hopes for the British driver and his crew.
The reaction from BMW M underlined just how much the result meant. Franciscus van Meel called it a deeply emotional weekend, capped by a podium just ten seconds behind the winner after a faultless run. Andreas Roos hailed a historic showing, praising flawless pit stops and strategy across the board. Team Principal Vincent Vosse described it as one of the strongest races the squad had ever run, with no penalties and no errors, while paying full credit to a Toyota that earned its win.
For the drivers, the emotion was bittersweet. Frijns admitted the late safety car handed the quicker Toyotas a fresh shot after their earlier troubles. Rast spoke of a podium that felt both proud and painful, given how close glory had come. Van der Linde reflected on the huge progress made over two seasons and vowed the team would return to chase the top step. Magnussen, ruing the #15’s exit, summed up the mood plainly: they would come back stronger, sharper and ready to finish the job.
