Overview
In a meeting on 10th June 2021, the BMW Group Board of Management gave the green light for BMW M Motorsport to enter a new era of racing, the LMDh prototype class. BMW M Motorsport chose Dallara as chassis partner. The roll-out of the BMW M Hybrid V8 took place on 25th July 2022 on the Dallara test track at Varano de’ Melegari.
From 2024, the first BMW M Motorsport prototype since the legendary BMW V12 LMR will race in the FIA World Endurance Championship and return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans – exactly 25 years after the last BMW victory at the most famous endurance race in the world. The two BMW M Hybrid V8 will be entered under the colours of BMW M Team WRT. Team WRT staff have taken part in the US in the work surrounding the launch of the 2023 IMSA programme and have been involved in the car building in Munich, with the objective to get familiarised with, and contribute to, all processes. Preparation work has also been intense at the team’s factory in Baudour.
Car #15 will be entrusted to Raffaele Marciello, Dris Vanthoor and Marco Wittmann, while in car #20 Robin Frijns will be paired with René Rast and Sheldon van der Linde.