BMW M Motorsport drivers and race programme for 2023.
(📷 © Courtesy of BMW M Motorsport)
BMW M Motorsport confirms teams and works drivers through this press release. They include appearances in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with the new BMW M Hybrid V8, as well as starts with the BMW M4 GT3 in GT World Challenge Europe, the Intercontinental GT Challenge and the Nürburgring 24 Hours. More race programmes – including the DTM that is undergoing a major transformation at the moment – are being planned and will be announced at a later date.
The 2023 works drivers.
Vanthoor and Weerts (📷 © Courtesy of BMW M Motorsport) are the latest members of the BMW M Motorsport family. 24-year-old Vanthoor can already look back on some impressive successes. He has won the Nürburgring 24 Hours twice (2019, 2022), was Sprint Cup Champion on three occasions in GT World Challenge Europe (2020, 2021, 2022) and was crowned overall champion in GT World Challenge Europe in 2021. Vanthoor has also tasted victory at the 24h Dubai (UAE), the 12h Bathurst (AUS) and took class victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (FRA).
Weerts is 21 years old and has enjoyed success alongside Vanthoor in the past. This includes winning the title in the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup in 2020, 2021 and 2022, as well as the overall title in the 2021 GT World Challenge Europe.
The BMW M Motorsport squad for the 2023 season now comprises 20 works drivers, including newcomers René Rast (GER) and Maxime Martin (BEL), who were announced a while ago. Other drivers without a works driver contract will also start for BMW M Motorsport in races and tests in BMW M race cars.
BMW M Hybrid V8 in North America.
A new era dawns in 2023 when the new BMW M Hybrid V8 contests its debut season in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in North America. BMW M Team RLL will field two new hybrid prototypes in the highest class - GTP. They will be driven by Connor De Phillippi (USA), Nick Yelloly (GBR), Philipp Eng (AUT) and Augusto Farfus (BRA). Sheldon van der Linde (RSA) and Marco Wittmann (GER) (📷 © Courtesy of BMW M Motorsport) will bolster the IMSA squad in the BMW M Hybrid V8 at the endurance races at Daytona and Sebring (both USA). Colton Herta (USA) will also be involved at the season-opener, the 24 Hours of Daytona in January.
September 6th, we relayed that the BMW Junior Team, consisting of Dan Harper (GBR), Max Hesse (GER) and Neil Verhagen (USA), has also had a taste of LMDh action already, plus newcomer René Rast (GER) (📷 © Courtesy of BMW M Motorsport) has completed a number of laps in the BMW M Hybrid V8.
BMW M Team WRT in IGTC & GTWC.
(📷 © Courtesy of BMW M Motorsport)
BMW M Team WRT will run a double programme with the BMW M4 GT3 in 2023, both in GT World Challenge Europe and at races in the Intercontinental GT Challenge. The works programme for BMW M Team WRT begins with the 12h Bathurst on the first weekend of February. The exact driver line-ups for the team’s BMW M4 GT3 will be announced at a later date. Before travelling to Australia, the team will use the 24 Hours of Dubai in January to gain experience with the BMW M4 GT3 under race conditions, as part of a customer outing organised by the team itself. At the same time, BMW M Team WRT will also be preparing for the 2024 season, in which it will appear in the FIA World Endurance Championship with the BMW M Hybrid V8.
October 26th, we informed our readers about Maxime Martin comeback in BMW M Motorsport colours.
ROWE Racing in GTWC Endurance and at the Nürburgring 24 Hours.
(📷 © Courtesy of BMW M Motorsport)
The 24-hour race on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife is one of the highlights of the race calendar every year. It has already been confirmed that 2020 winners ROWE Racing will again start the classic in the Eifel mountains with two BMW M4 GT3s for BMW M Motorsport. The team is also planned to continue to race in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup with two works-supported BMW M4 GT3s next season.
BMW M Team RMG: 24h Nürburgring contender and development team.
(📷 © Courtesy of BMW M Motorsport)
Parallel to the many race outings, BMW M Motorsport will also continue its development work with various BMW M race cars in 2023. BMW M Team RMG remains largely responsible for the test and development work. In addition to that, the Andernach-based team will again compete in its home race with the BMW M4 GT3, the Nürburgring 24 Hours.
Race action and new roles for Bruno Spengler.
(📷 © Courtesy of BMW M Motorsport)
BMW M works driver Bruno Spengler (CAN) will be behind the wheel of the BMW M4 GT3 in 2023 and contest multiple international races next season. He will also have a bigger role within the BMW family in other areas. Spengler will be BMW SIM Racing Ambassador and BMW Group Classic Ambassador from 2023.
Related articles
📷 © Courtesy of BMW M Motorsport. BMW M Hybrid V8 enters next phase of testing in the USA in September: Read here.
📷 © Courtesy of BMW M Motorsport. Maxime Martin switches back from Aston Martin Racing to BMW M Motorsport: Read here.
📷 © Courtesy of IMSA. News from December Daytona IMSA on-track sessions: Read here.
