Iconic Spa-Francorchamps 24 Hours Celebrates 100 Years, BMW M Motorsport Aims for 26th Victory
(Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium) As the legendary 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps endurance race marks its 100th anniversary, BMW M Motorsport is determined to defend its title and extend its unparalleled record of 25 victories at the iconic circuit.
Fielding a formidable lineup, ROWE Racing and BMW M Team WRT, two powerhouses in the world of GT endurance racing, will compete in the Pro category with a total of four specially-liveried BMW M4 GT3 cars. BMW M Motorsport’s storied history at Spa-Francorchamps is unmatched, having triumphed an astonishing 25 times over the past century.
ROWE Racing Aims for Back-to-Back Victory
ROWE Racing’s #98 BMW M4 GT3, driven by last year’s champions Philipp Eng, Marco Wittmann, and Nick Yelloly, will be aiming to secure a back-to-back victory at the prestigious event. Meanwhile, BMW M Team WRT, celebrating its home race in the Ardennes region, is seeking to break a long winless streak with a star-studded driver lineup that includes Sheldon van der Linde and Valentino Rossi.
Strong Lineups Across the Board
In the Pro category, ROWE Racing will field two cars – the #98, with the defending champions, and the #998, driven by Augusto Farfus, Dan Harper, and Max Hesse, who are riding high after a victory in the season-opening Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup round.
BMW M Team WRT is also entering two cars in the Pro class. The #32 features Sheldon van der Linde, Dries Vanthoor, and Charles Weerts, while the #46 car, with Raffaele Marciello, Maxime Martin, and Valentino Rossi, aims to secure a podium finish.
The Bronze category will see WRT’s #30 BMW M4 GT3 and Century Motorsport’s #991 BMW M4 GT3 compete, with seasoned drivers such as Jens Klingmann and Connor De Phillippi behind the wheel.
Determined to Extend Winning Record
Andreas Roos, Head of BMW M Motorsport, stated: “The goal for this race is clear: to repeat last year’s victory. With defending champion ROWE Racing and BMW M Team WRT, we have an extremely strong line-up. All four crews have the potential to win the race – and we at BMW M Motorsport thus have many irons in the fire.”
ROWE Racing’s Team Principal, Hans-Peter Naundorf, expressed pride in their past achievements, saying, “To finish at the front again would be a dream, but that is incredibly difficult in this high-calibre field. We are happy to take on this challenge.”
Vincent Vosse, Team Principal of BMW M Team WRT, highlighted the personal significance of the race, stating, “To win again in 2011 and 2014 as a team was magic. Since then we have always been fighting at the front. We want to win again.”
Drivers from both teams echoed these sentiments, with Nick Yelloly and Max Hesse of ROWE Racing confident in their preparations and teamwork. Weerts of BMW M Team WRT noted, “With the line-up that BMW M Motorsport and BMW M Team WRT are bringing to the start, the goal can only be victory.”
As the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps celebrates its centenary, BMW M Motorsport is poised to write another chapter in its unparalleled history at the iconic circuit, aiming to extend its record-breaking success in the prestigious endurance event.
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