BMW M Hybrid V8 Storms To Victory In São Paulo Six-Hour Race

The BMW M Hybrid V8 has struck gold in Brazil. At the fourth round of the FIA World Endurance Championship, the 6 Hours of São Paulo, the number 15 car swept to a commanding win. Kevin Magnussen, Raffaele Marciello and Dries Vanthoor shared the driving, and each played his part. It was the trio’s first WEC victory together, and a second triumph of the season for BMW M Team WRT after its one-two at Spa-Francorchamps.

The winning run was built on a clean, decisive pace. The number 15 lined up fourth on the grid, but Magnussen wasted little time. He surged into second early in his opening stint. From there, the crew stayed in contention through every pit cycle. After the final stops, Vanthoor held the lead. He kept his nerve at the front and reeled off the closing laps to take the flag.

The sister car mounted a comeback of its own. The number 20 Shell BMW M Hybrid V8 of Robin Frijns, René Rast and Sheldon van der Linde started way down in 16th after a scrappy qualifying. A smart strategy and tidy stints hauled the car up to sixth. Those points proved priceless. Frijns and Rast now top the drivers’ standings on 75 points. In the manufacturers’ table, BMW M Motorsport sits second on 127 points, just five adrift of Toyota.

There was silverware in the LMGT3 class, too. Dan Harper, Parker Thompson and Anthony McIntosh guided the number 69 BMW M4 GT3 EVO from fourth on the grid to second at the flag. It was their first podium since winning the opener at Imola. The number 32 BMW M4 GT3 EVO of Augusto Farfus, Sean Gelael and Darren Leung came home 12th, a muted result for Farfus at his home race.

Momentum is clearly building for the Munich squad. Two wins, both championship leads within reach, and a GT podium make for a healthy midway report. The team now turns to the second half of the campaign with plenty to defend. On this São Paulo form, the BMW M Hybrid V8 looks like a genuine title threat.