At the season-opener of the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC) in Qatar, the BMW M Hybrid V8 and the BMW M4 GT3 EVO delivered strong performances, making a significant impact in the competition against the world's top manufacturers.
Andrea Schwab
BMW Group
Doha. At the season-opener of the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA...
At the season-opener of the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC) in Qatar, the BMW M Hybrid V8 and the BMW M4 GT3 EVO delivered strong performances, making a significant impact in the competition against the world's top manufacturers.
Andrea Schwab
BMW Group
Doha. At the season-opener of the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC) in Qatar, the BMW M Hybrid V8 and the BMW M4 GT3 EVO delivered strong performances, making a significant impact in the competition against the world's top manufacturers. The two BMW M Team WRT hypercars finished in fourth and seventh places respectively, earning valuable points for the World Championship standings. In the LMGT3 class, the #31 The Bend Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 EVO achieved a podium finish, coming in third .
At the start of its second season in the FIA WEC, the BMW M Hybrid V8 demonstrated strong pace. In qualifying, Dries Vanthoor (BEL) secured a spot on the front row with a second-place finish in 1:38.495 minutes – a first for the hypercar, missing pole position by just 0.136 seconds. Robin Frijns (NED) also made it into the top-ten Hyperpole with the sister car.
During the race, the #15 BMW M Hybrid V8 initially fell back, but the team, including Vanthoor, Kevin Magnussen (DEN), and Raffaele Marciello (SUI), fought their way back to the top positions with strong lap times over the ten-hour race. In the end, only the three Ferraris, which battled among themselves for the win, were faster. The #20 Shell BMW M Hybrid V8, driven by Frijns, René Rast (GER), and Sheldon van der Linde (RSA), was at one point in third place but finished seventh due to varying strategies.
In the LMGT3 class, a BMW M Motorsport crew celebrated a podium finish. Augusto Farfus (BRA), Timur Boguslavskiy, and Yasser Shahin (AUS) drove the #31 The Bend Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 EVO to third place, mounting a remarkable comeback from 14th on the grid after a setback in qualifying. The #46 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, piloted by Kelvin van der Linde (RSA), Valentino Rossi (ITA), and Ahmad Al Harthy (OMA), faced challenges and finished eleventh in the LMGT3 class.
Comments after the race:
All of the photos have been indexed to their galleries - based on date and event type, from February 21-23, 2025 at Sebring International Raceway.
SVRA - Sebring - February 21, 2025
SVRA - Sebring - February 22, 2025
SVRA - Sebring - February 23, 2025
On the weekend before the season opener of the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC) in Qatar, four BMW M Motorsport cars completed numerous test laps during the Prologue at the Lusail Circuit. The BMW M Hybrid V8 made a strong impression and set the fastest time. The two hypercars and the two BMW M4 GT3 EVOs were presented for the first...
On the weekend before the season opener of the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC) in Qatar, four BMW M Motorsport cars completed numerous test laps during the Prologue at the Lusail Circuit. The BMW M Hybrid V8 made a strong impression and set the fastest time. The two hypercars and the two BMW M4 GT3 EVOs were presented for the first time in their new designs.
Andrea Schwab
BMW Group
Doha. On the weekend before the season opener of the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC) in Qatar, four BMW M Motorsport cars completed numerous test laps during the Prologue at the Lusail Circuit. The BMW M Hybrid V8 made a strong impression and set the fastest time. The two hypercars and the two BMW M4 GT3 EVOs were presented for the first time in their new designs .
Team WRT achieved an impressive 1-2 result with the BMW M4 GT3 at the Bathurst 12 Hour (AUS), the season opener of the Intercontinental GT Challenge (IGTC). Brothers Sheldon and Kelvin van der Linde (both RSA) triumphed alongside Augusto Farfus (BRA) in car #32. Following them, Valentino Rossi (ITA), Raffaele Marciello (SUI), and Charles Weerts...
Team WRT achieved an impressive 1-2 result with the BMW M4 GT3 at the Bathurst 12 Hour (AUS), the season opener of the Intercontinental GT Challenge (IGTC). Brothers Sheldon and Kelvin van der Linde (both RSA) triumphed alongside Augusto Farfus (BRA) in car #32. Following them, Valentino Rossi (ITA), Raffaele Marciello (SUI), and Charles Weerts (BEL) in the #46 BMW M4 GT3 secured second place.
Laura Claesgens
BMW Group
Bathurst. What a race, what a victory! Team WRT achieved an impressive 1-2 result with the BMW M4 GT3 at the Bathurst 12 Hour (AUS), the season opener of the Intercontinental GT Challenge (IGTC). Brothers Sheldon and Kelvin van der Linde (both RSA) triumphed alongside Augusto Farfus (BRA) in car #32. Following them, Valentino Rossi (ITA), Raffaele Marciello (SUI), and Charles Weerts (BEL) in the #46 BMW M4 GT3 secured second place. It was the first victory for BMW M Motorsport in the GT3 era at the Mount Panorama Circuit. Team WRT remains undefeated in the 2025 season after successes at the 24h Dubai and the 6h Abu Dhabi (both UAE). On the sidelines of the race at Bathurst, the new BMW M3 CS Touring (fuel consumption combined: 10.5 l/100 km [26.9 mpg imp]; CO2 emissions combined: 238 g/km in the WLTP cycle, CO2 class: G)* celebrated its world premiere.
For more than 23 hours, BMW M Team RLL and Paul Miller Racing had their sights set on victory at the 24 Hours of Daytona (USA), but a dramatic final stage dashed all hopes of a well-deserved reward for a great performance by BMW M Motorsport at the season opener of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IWSC).
Andrea Schwab
BMW Group
For more than 23 hours, BMW M Team RLL and Paul Miller Racing had their sights set on victory at the 24 Hours of Daytona (USA), but a dramatic final stage dashed all hopes of a well-deserved reward for a great performance by BMW M Motorsport at the season opener of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IWSC).
Andrea Schwab
BMW Group
Daytona. For more than 23 hours, BMW M Team RLL and Paul Miller Racing had their sights set on victory at the 24 Hours of Daytona (USA), but a dramatic final stage dashed all hopes of a well-deserved reward for a great performance by BMW M Motorsport at the season opener of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IWSC). Dries Vanthoor (BEL), who had secured pole position in the #24 BMW M Hybrid V8, collided with a competitor while fighting for second place and fell to fourth place due to the subsequent repairs. A similar fate befell Kelvin van der Linde (RSA) in the #1 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, who was also contending for the win but ultimately had to settle for fourth position in the GTD-PRO class after an incident.
secure network sites
the Deep House Podcast Archive
Corvette Brotherhood (Official)
Corvette Brotherhood (Page)
Corvette Brotherhood Social Club (Group)
-Special Thanks-
Special thanks to Identifont for assistance re-acquiring the font used in the logo, Venus Rising.
Copyright 2000-2025 Jeff Seabrook - www.bmwsport.net - site est: 12/31/2000 in Orlando, FL
BMWsport.net will be on it's 25th Anniversary come 12/31/2025
