BMW M Motorsport News, 6th May 2024.

Björn Lellmann, Head of Customer Racing at BMW M Motorsport:

 

“The BMW M Motorsport teams have celebrated numerous successes worldwide with the BMW M4 GT3, BMW M4 GT4, and BMW M2 CS Racing cars in recent weeks. We have been able to cheer for victories and podiums in Germany, Europe, North America, and Asia. This once again underlines how strong the customer racing programme is internationally at BMW M Motorsport. I congratulate all the winners and look forward to the next successes that we can celebrate together.”

 

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Italian GT Championship (3^rd-5^th May): Hesse and Klingmann triumph at Misano.

 

The BMW Italia Ceccato Racing team started the Italian GT Championship season at Misano (ITA) with two victories. In the Sunday race, BMW M works drivers Max Hesse and Jens Klingmann (both GER) triumphed with the #7 BMW M4 GT3. At the same time, in the sister #8 car, Pedro Ebrahim (BRA) and Federico Malvestiti (ITA) won the Pro-Am class. In the first race on Saturday, Hesse fought for third place until the last lap but then retired due to a technical defect. Ebrahim and Malvestiti finished fourth in their class. “This is a victory for the team,” said Hesse. “The guys did an incredible job rebuilding the car after my accident following the technical defect on Saturday. Thanks to everyone for the fantastic effort!” Klingmann added: “After our big misfortune on Saturday, we managed to turn the weekend around with the victory on Sunday. It was anything but certain that we could even start. We owe this to the great work of the entire team led by Roberto Ravaglia. For me personally, it is the first victory at Misano, which I am very happy about.”

 

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GTWC America (3^rd-5^th May): ST Racing and Turner Motorsport celebrate class victories.

 

Pure joy in Florida: At the second race weekend of the Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS, BMW M Motorsport teams celebrated a class victory in both runs. In the first race at Sebring International Raceway, BMW M works driver Neil Verhagen (USA) and Samantha Tan (CAN) jumped onto the podium as third overall.

 

The Team ST Racing duo in the #38 BMW M4 GT3 triumphed in the Pro-Am category – even though Verhagen had to build a lead over brand colleagues from Turner Motorsport, Robby Foley and Justin Rothberg (both USA), due to a time penalty. “After the pit stop, I was on a time hunt,” explained Verhagen. “The gap I had to open was five seconds. I had Robby behind me. He also kept me on my toes.” But the lead was enough for Verhagen and Tan, who celebrated a special victory. Last year, the duo won the second race at Sebring in the Pro-Am category but had to give up the class victory afterwards due to a penalty. “This is the victory of the greatest redemption,” said Tan a year later. “We came back here to prove something. The team gave us an incredible car, and we made it. It feels really good.”

 

Foley and Rothberg made it a one-two result for the BMW M4 GT3 in the Pro-Am category right behind them on Saturday. A day later, the Turner Motorsport duo themselves were the measure of all things when in the second race, Foley and Rothberg triumphed in the Pro-Am category. Verhagen and Tan fought their way back impressively after a drive-through penalty in the #38 BMW M4 GT3 and crowned an outstanding weekend for the BMW M Motorsport teams at Sebring as third. “I think we showed everyone this weekend that our pace is undisputed. Thanks to my team, our fans, and BMW M Motorsport for the support,” praised Tan, who also had reason to celebrate in the Pro category. BMW M works driver Bill Auberlen and Varun Choksey (both USA) celebrated a double podium: In both races, they finished third in the #28 BMW M4 GT3 in the class.

 

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GT/GT4/TC America (3^rd-5^th May): Podium celebrations at Sebring.

 

Justin Rothberg (USA) celebrated a premiere in GT America. In the second race at Sebring International Raceway, the American finished third in the Turner Motorsport #29 BMW M4 GT3 and climbed onto the GT America podium for the first time. Nicolas Shanny (USA) narrowly missed the podium in the GT4 category twice as fourth.

 

In GT4 America, Zac Anderson and Colin Garrett (both USA) from Team AutoTechnic Racing climbed onto the overall podium as second in the #51 BMW M4 GT4. In the Am category, Kris Wilson alongside Paul Sparta (both USA) for Team Random Vandals Racing in the #98 BMW M4 GT4 won the second run after the duo had already celebrated a podium finish with second place in the first race. Matt Million and Ryan Keeley (both USA) finished third in the Am category in the first race in the #53 BMW M4 GT4.

 

In TC America, Chris Walsh (USA) from Carnus Callas Raceteam was the dominant driver in Florida. In both runs, he triumphed in the #104 BMW M2 CS Racing car, relegating his BMW colleague Lucas Catania (USA, Team Rigid Speed) in the #17 BMW M2 CS Racing car to second place each time. In the second race, Aaron Kaplan (USA) in the #18 BMW M2 CS Racing car completed the pure BMW M Motorsport podium in third.

 

Two weeks earlier, Samantha Tan (CAN) celebrated a podium finish at her personal season debut in GT America. In the second run on the Long Beach (USA) street circuit, the Canadian steered her #38 BMW M4 GT4 in the GT4 class to second place. In the SRO3 class, Rothberg narrowly missed the podium with fourth place in both runs.

 

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ADAC GT Masters (26^th-28^th April): Köhler and Oosten win at the season start at Oschersleben.

 

Maxime Oosten (NED) and Leon Köhler (GER) won the opening race of the ADAC GT Masters last weekend in April, celebrating a perfect start to the new season. In the first race at Oschersleben (GER), the #54 BMW M4 GT3 of Team FK Performance Motorsport drove from pole position to a commanding triumph. “It was a great start to the season. Maxime did a great job in the first part of the race. For me, it was about managing the lead in the second section. I am very happy about the victory,” Köhler raved after the opening success on Saturday.

 

In the second race on Sunday, the German-Dutch duo then fought their way forward from seventh on the grid, narrowly missing the second podium finish of the weekend with fourth place. Nevertheless, Köhler and Oosten left Oschersleben in second place in the drivers’ standings. Their team-mates Eduardo Coseteng (PHI) and Gregory de Sybourg (SUI) drove the #10 BMW M4 GT3 to 13th and tenth places at the start of the ADAC GT Masters season.

 

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ADAC GT4 Germany (26^th-28^th April): Piana and Schrey dominate the opener.

 

At the opening weekend of the ADAC GT4 Germany at Oschersleben (GER), Gabriele Piana (ITA) and Michael Schrey (GER) in the #2 BMW M4 GT4 were unbeatable. Already in qualifying on Saturday, the duo from Team Hofor Racing by Bonk Motorsport distanced the competition by more than four-tenths – and then also secured the victory in the first race. Their team-mates Leon Wassertheurer and Tim Reiter (both GER) in the #3 BMW M4 GT4 completed the double podium for BMW M Motorsport at the season start in third.

 

Piana and Schrey also triumphed in the second race, celebrating the second race victory of the weekend in Saxony-Anhalt. Their team-mates Reiter and Wassertheurer had started Sunday from pole position but had to retire while leading with damage to the wheel suspension.

 

Nevertheless, the BMW M Motorsport teams also celebrated an outstanding overall result on Sunday. Behind Piana and Schrey, four more BMW M4 GT4s secured top-ten finishes. For FK Performance Motorsport, Leyton Fourie (RSA) and Max Rosam (GER) in the #46 car finished fifth and relegated their car #47 team-mates Tom Edgar (GBR) and Joseph Warhurst (GBR) to sixth place. Behind them, Markus Eichele (GER) and Phillip Wiskirchen (GER) competed in the ME Motorsport #66 BMW M4 GT4, followed by Mohan Ritson (GBR) and Gianni van de Craats (NED) in car #48, another duo from FK Performance Motorsport, finishing eighth.

 

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Thailand Super Series (3^rd-5^th May): Victory for Jesse Krohn and AAI Motorsports.

 

The Thailand Super Series season began last weekend at the Chang International Circuit in Buriram (THA). The AAI Motorsports team, with the support of BMW M works driver Jesse Krohn (FIN), competed with two BMW M4 GT3s. In the two races, there was one victory and three other podium finishes to celebrate. Krohn and his driving colleague Chun Hua Chen (TPE) won the second race in an exciting finish with a 0.074-second lead. In the first run, the duo finished second on the podium. With two second places in the Am class, Betty Chen and Jun San Chen (both TPE) also had a successful start to the season.

 

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Super GT Series (3^rd-5^th May): Bruno Spengler competes at Fuji.

 

BMW M works driver Bruno Spengler (CAN) supported Team Studie at the first endurance race of the season in the Japanese Super GT Series at Fuji (JPN). In the #7 BMW M4 GT3, he alternated with Niklas Krütten (GER) and Seiji Ara (JPN) during the three race hours. The trio started from ninth place and crossed the finish line in eleventh position after 107 laps.

 

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British GT Championship (26^th-28^th April): Challenging weekend at Silverstone.

 

At the second season event of the British GT Championship at Silverstone (GBR), BMW M works driver Raffaele Marciello (SUI) alongside John Ferguson (GBR) achieved a top-ten finish. At the traditional track in the south of England, the Team RAM Racing duo in the #15 BMW M4 GT3 finished ninth. BMW M works driver Dries Vanthoor (BEL) finished 13th alongside Darren Leung (GBR) in the #1 BMW M4 GT3.

 

Their teammates from Team Century Motorsport, Lewis Plato (GBR) and Carl Cavers (GBR) in the #22 BMW M4 GT3, followed in 14th place. BMW M works driver Dan Harper (GBR) finished the race in the #14 BMW M4 GT3 alongside Michael Johnston (GBR) in 17th place. In the GT4 category, Ian Gough (GBR) and Tom Wrigley (GBR) steered the #29 BMW M4 GT4 to tenth place.

 

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ESET Cup Series (26^th-28^th April): Class victories at Lake Balaton.

 

At the ESET Cup Series race weekend on the new Balaton Park Circuit (HUN), BMW M Motorsport drivers celebrated three class victories. In the D4 GT4 class, Antal Zsigo (SVK) in his Trevor Racing #500 BMW M4 GT4 triumphed in both the first and second races ahead of Rudolf Beno (SVK) in the #444 BMW M4 GT4 from Team Aries Racing. In the Endurance Race, Beno alongside Richard Gonda in the #444 BMW M4 GT4 won the D4 GT4 class ahead of Zsigo. Team Trevor Racing’s Stefan Rosina (SVK) celebrated second place in the overall classification near Lake Balaton in his #24 BMW M6 GT3.

 

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British Touring Car Championship (26^th-28^th April): Podium celebrations at Donington Park.

 

Three races, three podiums. BMW teams experienced a successful start to the British Touring Car Championship at Donington Park (GBR). In the first two races, Jake Hill (GBR) in the #24 BMW 330e M Sport finished third twice. When the 30-year-old had to settle for fifth place in the third run, another BMW representative stepped up when sfter fourth and fifth places in the first two races, Colin Turkington (GBR) climbed onto the podium as second in the final race. His Team BMW team-mate Adam Morgan (GBR) finished seventh in the second and third races. Hill and Turkington left the first stop of the BTCC season in third and fourth places in the overall standings, with BMW leading the manufacturers’ standings.