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The BMW M Hybrid V8 roared into Laguna Seca with intent, its turbocharged hybrid powertrain translating qualifying domination into race-day silverware. Dries Vanthoor laid the groundwork by steering the #24 prototype to a fourth consecutive pole, underlining the car’s formidable one-lap grip and balance. Once the lights turned green, he kept the field at bay for nearly an hour, carving smooth, confident arcs through the fabled Corkscrew before handing over to Philipp Eng.
Traffic compressed the order, yet Eng matched the Porsches corner for corner, holding station until Vanthoor climbed back aboard for the closing stint. A tight, caution-free dash to the flag followed, the Belgian driver stalking the leaders with clinical precision. Contact in the final turn nudged the #24 car sideways, but Vanthoor fired the twin-motor chassis up again and powered across the stripe in third, banking a second podium of the campaign.
The sister #25 machine proved equally robust. Sheldon van der Linde and Marco Wittmann opted for an early pit strategy, trading track position for clear air. Wittmann later sliced through the pack, leveraging the V8’s torque to vault from seventh to fourth in a handful of laps, cementing the team’s strongest combined finish this season.
BMW’s GT crews endured a sterner afternoon. Dan Harper and Max Hesse guided the Paul Miller Racing #48 BMW M4 GT3 EVO to fifth in GTD-Pro, while Madison Snow and Neil Verhagen salvaged tenth in the #1 entry. Turner Motorsport’s #96 M4 placed ninth in GTD, each squad gathering valuable tyre data on Laguna Seca’s freshly resurfaced asphalt.
With momentum building, BMW M Team RLL leaves California confident. Four straight poles and back-to-back podiums signal that a maiden IMSA victory for the BMW M Hybrid V8 is within reach as the championship moves east.
