MAIDEN FIA WEC PODIUM FOR BMW M TEAM WRT AT FUJI AND MORE SILVERWARE IN THE LMGT3 CATEGORY

MAIDEN FIA WEC PODIUM FOR BMW M TEAM WRT AT FUJI AND MORE SILVERWARE IN THE LMGT3 CATEGORY

15/09/2024

Fuji, round seven of the FIA WEC – Team WRT secured its first Hypercar podium since debuting with BMW, along with strong class performances from its other entry. The #15 crew of Marco Wittmann, Raffaele Marciello, and Dries Vanthoor delivered a commanding performance, fighting all race long for victory, leading the race on several occasions, to finally achieve a 2nd place finish.

After topping the timesheets with P1 in the second practice session, the #15 BMW Hypercar, piloted by Dries Vanthoor, secured P3 in overall qualifying, while Robin Frijns in #20 narrowly missed out on Hyperpole by just 0.003 seconds. The BMW Hypercar #15 of Wittmann had a stellar start, taking P2 after the first corner. Together with teammates Vanthoor and Marciello, they held firm at the front of the pack for most of the race battling for a podium-finish. Meanwhile, the sister car #20, driven by Rast, Frijns, and van der Linde, couldn’t fight for higher positions after being involved in a second-lap incident. Unfortunately, a mechanical issue cut the #20's race short, with less than 15 minutes remaining.

In the LMGT3 class, Ahmad Al Harthy delivered another standout performance in his opening stint, climbing from P12 to P5. Together with teammates Maxime Martin and Valentino Rossi, they battled fiercely for a podium throughout the race, ultimately securing a well-deserved third place finish after a string of unlucky outings in previous rounds.

Car #31, driven by Augusto Farfus, Sean Gelael, and Darren Leung climbed up from P16 to P5 but lost sight on podium finish after it was hit by a competitor mid race. 10^th at the checkered flag, the three drivers remain 3^rd in the championship ranking heading to the championship finale in Bahrain scheduled on November 2nd.

In the meantime, there's no rest for Team WRT as the Fanatec GT crew heads to Monza next weekend for the penultimate round of the Endurance Cup.

QUOTES

Vincent VOSSE, Team Principal Team WRT: “Finally! We have finally arrived where we want to be. With the #15 BMW M Hybrid V8, we were fully engaged all weekend. It's an incredible feeling. Everyone did an exceptional job. I am overjoyed for the team, who have been giving their all for this project for a year and a half. Now we have reaped the deserved reward. The result gives everyone a boost. Unfortunately, #20 had unavoidable contact. Otherwise, both cars would have been at the same pace. In the LMGT3 class, we didn't have the fastest car, but we were able to work a bit of magic in terms of strategy. The drivers and the team showed an excellent performance, and now to stand on the podium, we didn't dare to dream of that at the beginning of the weekend”.

Ahmad AL HARTHY, driver #46: "I'm over the moon. Absolutely delighted to finish on the podium after such an amazing race. To be honest, everyone did a top job: perfect execution, perfect teamwork. It means so much when you know how difficult it is to actually finish on the podium. It had been a while and it feels so good to stand on that podium again. I have amazing teammates who did great stints and a mega crew who did the perfect pitstops. So, thank you! What a nice way to go to the final event in Bahrain!"

Valentino ROSSI, driver #46: “We are so happy! It feels very good after our DNF in Austin two weeks ago. This race was hard but Ahmad, Maxime and I did a fantastic job in our stints and our team made the perfect strategy and the perfect pitstops once again. It is our second podium this season and we are very happy!”

Maxime MARTIN, driver #46: “Super happy! We did not expect that podium, but we made a perfect race with a perfect strategy, and we optimised all we had. We did not make any mistakes and did not get any penalties, and we were rewarded. It’s very nice to be back on the podium after the last unlucky races we had. Let’s try to do the same in Bahrain!”

Augusto FARFUS, driver #31: “Difficult race for us. We lost pace and we will investigate what happened exactly. We could not fight for a better result and unfortunately the championship is gone. Let’s now fight for the vice-championship title!”

Dries VANTHOOR, driver #15: "An incredible race. The first podium for BMW M Motorsport in the FIA WEC is a fantastic achievement. This is a very special moment for everyone who has worked so hard on this project. Considering where we started this season, and now seeing where we stand, it's a huge progress. Second place is great, but we're not quite where we want to be yet – that's a victory."

Marco WITTMANN, driver #15: "It's a great feeling for us drivers, for the entire team, and for BMW M Motorsport. That we have now achieved our first WEC podium with this project is fantastic. We showed strong performance throughout the weekend – in practice as well as in qualifying – and had a good pace in the race. We drove flawlessly and had a successful start. Looking at where we started and the progress we've made, we can really be proud. The first podium feels incredibly good, and the entire team has done a fantastic job. I'm super happy. Now we want to achieve a similarly strong result in Bahrain to conclude the season."

Raffaele MARCIELLO, driver #15: “It's great for the project and everyone at BMW M Motorsport to have secured the first Hypercar podium in WEC, especially for Vincent Vosse and Andreas Roos, who pushed so hard. We've seen progress throughout the season. After Austin, we thought this track might not be the best for us, but the improvements we made paid off. It's a big boost for us drivers and the team. It's not just about the podium – it's about being able to compete at the front and perform well. That's a great feeling”.

René RAST, driver #20: "There was an incident at turn one in lap two. I tried to avoid it and went straight on. At some point, parts flew onto my car – I think even a rear wing from a Porsche – and that tore off the flicks at the front. Something also broke under the car. As a result, we lost time, also because we had to change the nose, which took longer than expected. That practically ended the race for us. Nevertheless, the second place for the project, Team WRT, and BMW M Motorsport is a huge success. The pace was there in both cars. I'm absolutely thrilled for everyone, especially for Vincent Vosse and Andreas Roos, and for all those working in the background who have invested so much time over the past months. It feels really good."