BMW M TEAM WRT HAS STARTED TEST PROGRAMME WITH THE BMW M HYBRID V8

BMW M TEAM WRT HAS STARTED TEST PROGRAMME WITH THE BMW M HYBRID V8

26/06/2023

BMW M Team WRT has started the track tests programme with the BMW M Hybrid V8 in view of its participation in the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC).

End of May, the Belgian squad, which will defend the colours of BMW M Motorsport in the 2024 FIA WEC, conducted a first rollout of the new BMW M Hybrid V8 in Dingolfing, BMW Group’s testing ground in Bavaria, Germany. Following that, a three-day testing session was organised at Motorland Aragón, in Alcañiz, Spain. BMW M works drivers Sheldon van der Linde, Dries Vanthoor, Maxime Martin and Jesse Krohn took turns behind the wheel, later joined by Dan Harper and Max Hesse from the BMW M Junior Team for a first functional test.

The sessions ran without any problems and a lot of information and data were gathered by the engineers of BMW M Motorsport and BMW M Team WRT, which will be very useful in the development programme of the new car and the many other testing ahead. In the meantime, the BMW M Hybrid V8, which is already competing in the US, took last weekend its first IMSA series win at Watkins Glen, NY with Connor De Philippi and Nick Yelloly aboard the car.

Preparations have indeed started in January, as Team WRT staff have taken part in the US in the work surrounding the launch of the 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.

The official racing debut for BMW M Team WRT will take place in Losail, Qatar on 2^nd March 2024, at the season-opener of the 2024 FIA WEC, which will feature eight rounds, including the mythical 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Vincent Vosse, Team Principal of BMW M Team WRT: “This first test is a big step we all worked hard for, a milestone for the team. When we started Team WRT together with Yves, we said ‘Maybe one day we will do the Spa 24 Hours’, and in less than two years we won it… Being at Le Mans was also a goal, but going to Le Mans and the WEC representing a manufacturer such as BMW, in the top class, is a dream come true. We feel we have the best manufacturer and the best group of people behind us. Everybody has made a fantastic job in building and preparing the car, we had three days of testing without any issues, and it’s a very good first step. I look forward to what comes next and I just want to say a big thank you to everybody involved in the programme."

Andreas Roos, Head of BMW M Motorsport: “The past week was a very good start to our WEC preparation programme. The BMW M Hybrid V8 ran smoothly during the first test drives and provided our engineers and the team with the opportunity to gain a wealth of insights right from the start. Many thanks to everyone at BMW M Motorsport in Munich and BMW M Team WRT for making this successful start possible. Of course, the experiences we have gathered together with BMW M Team RLL in the races of the IMSA series have also contributed to this. At the beginning of the LMDh programme, we deliberately chose to compete exclusively in the IMSA series first and later in the FIA WEC. We are now benefiting from this approach. Although the start was successful, there is still a lot of work to be done on the way to the first races. We will all work highly motivated throughout the rest of the year.”