[ad_1]
BMW M Motorsport has set the stage for its return to the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC) in 2024 with a formidable squad of BMW M works drivers. The Hypercar class will witness the prowess of seasoned drivers as they take the wheel of the highly effective BMW M Hybrid V8s, managed by BMW M Group WRT. The already confirmed Dries Vanthoor from Belgium and Sheldon van der Linde from South Africa are joined by an skilled lineup that features Raffaele Marciello (Switzerland), Marco Wittmann (Germany), Robin Frijns (Netherlands), and René Rast (Germany).
Vanthoor, a confirmed expertise, will likely be alternating on the wheel of the #15 BMW M Hybrid V8 alongside BMW M Motorsport newcomer Marciello and seasoned driver Wittmann. In the meantime, Van der Linde will share the driving duties within the #20 BMW M Hybrid V8 with the achieved duo of Frijns and Rast. The pairings have been formally introduced by BMW, solidifying the crew’s lineups for the Hypercar class.
The #15 entry sees Marciello and Wittmann becoming a member of forces with Vanthoor. Marciello, who lately joined BMW from Mercedes, brings his wealth of expertise to the WEC squad. Wittmann, a BMW veteran, makes a transition to a full prototype program after a profitable stint within the IMSA SportsCar Championship final 12 months, showcasing his versatility. On the #20 entrance, Rast and Frijns, each former Audi manufacturing unit drivers, will crew up with the confirmed driver Sheldon van der Linde. The trio brings a mix of expertise and pace, having beforehand raced WRT’s LMP2 equipment within the WEC. Marciello’s transfer to BMW was a notable improvement, contemplating his preliminary plans to drive Lamborghini’s new SC63 LMDh. Nevertheless, BMW’s strategic method over the summer time led to the gifted Italian becoming a member of their ranks.
Rast and Frijns, long-time regulars with WRT, proceed their journey with BMW after making the swap in 2022 and 2023, respectively. Their familiarity with WRT’s LMP2 equipment since its arrival within the sequence in 2021 positions them as robust contenders for BMW’s Hypercar assault.
Andreas Roos (Head of BMW M Motorsport): “We compete within the 2024 WEC season with a really robust choice from our high-class works driver squad within the Hypercar class. We now have mixed driving excellence with expertise within the two BMW M Hybrid V8s – on the one hand expertise with our LMDh automotive, then again expertise of the race sequence and Le Mans particularly. Like Sheldon van der Linde, Marco Wittmann has already pushed the BMW M Hybrid V8 within the IMSA sequence. All the opposite drivers – together with our newcomer Raffaele Marciello – have already examined the automotive and can proceed to take action intensively within the coming months.”
[ad_2]
