BMW and Team WRT's preparations for the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship got underway with the German marque's M Hybrid V8 Hypercar submitting to three days of testing.
The raw carbon BMW M Hybrid V8 recently took the track at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium to give BMW and Team WRT the opportunity to collect valuable data ahead of next year's FIA WEC season. Andreas Roos (Head of BMW M Motorsport): "We are right on schedule. It's clear that having the vehicle in both race action in the IMSA series and testing here in Europe is a benefit. The dual pool of experiences benefits all sides, BMW M Team WRT as well as BMW M Team RLL and our BMW M Motorsport engineers. The fact that we had Marco Wittmann and Nick Yelloly testing the LMDh car here at Spa-Francorchamps, drivers who are already very familiar with the BMW M Hybrid V8 from their race experiences in North America underscores this valuable synergy."
Eight official BMW drivers took part in the testing sessions: Robin Frijns, Marco Wittmann, Nick Yelloly, Maxime Martin and René Rast. Wittmann and Yelloly brought their experience gained in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship after having competed in the Rolex 24 at Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring. Robin Frijns (BMW M works driver): "I have only recently become a part of this fantastic project and am still in the process of comprehending the BMW M Hybrid V8 in all its complexity. I am learning with each lap. However, things have gone very well here at Spa-Francorchamps, and we have made significant progress with the car. I am looking forward to the upcoming tests.”
"It's crucial to accumulate as much mileage as possible ."
Vincent Vosse, Team WRT
The team, managed by Vincent Vosse, focused on optimisating systems and performances, working alongside the drivers to master the Hypercar's nuances.Vincent Vosse (Team Principal BMW M Team WRT): “The three test days have gone very well. Once again, we've learned a lot, which continues to push us forward in preparation for the WEC season in 2024. At the moment, it's crucial to accumulate as much mileage as possible and to do our homework with the car, as well as with the team. It's working well.”
The no18 IDEC Sport Oreca won a dramatic Goodyear 4 Hours of Silverstone, Jamie Chadwick, Mathys Jaubert and Daniel Juncadella recording their third win of the season to put them back in contention for the 2025 ELMS title at the season finale in Portimão next month.
Young Frenchman Théo Pourchaire will make his maiden appearance at the wheel of the Peugeot 9X8 at the 2025 8 Hours of Bahrain before officially joining Team Peugeot TotalEnergies for the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship.
The entry list for the upcoming Asian Le Mans Series that begins in Sepang this December will feature a mammoth 48 full season entries across the three classes, the largest ever for the ALMS, with all three championship winning teams returning to defend their titles.