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BMW M Motorsport Announces Eight Drivers For Its 2025 LMDh Programme In FIA WEC And IMSA Series
In 2025, BMW M Motorsport will continue its journey in the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC) for a second season and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IMSA series) for a third season with the BMW M Hybrid V8. The team aims to achieve significant success in both series by unifying its driver line-up. Eight BMW M works drivers will take on driving responsibilities for BMW M Team WRT in the FIA WEC and BMW M Team RLL in the IMSA series.
New to the team is Formula 1 driver Kevin Magnussen from Denmark. He will join Philipp Eng from Austria, Robin Frijns from the Netherlands, Raffaele Marciello from Switzerland, René Rast from Germany, Sheldon van der Linde from South Africa, Dries Vanthoor from Belgium, and Marco Wittmann from Germany. This diverse group of drivers is expected to bring their expertise and experience to the team.
For the FIA WEC, there is a change in the BMW M Team WRT line-up compared to their debut season. In car #15, Magnussen will race alongside Marciello and Vanthoor. Meanwhile, car #20's crew remains unchanged with Frijns, Rast, and van der Linde continuing their roles. Wittmann will transition from FIA WEC to compete in the IMSA series with BMW M Team RLL.
Eng will remain in North America for his third season with the BMW M Hybrid V8. Van der Linde and Vanthoor are set to take on dual roles as regular drivers in both FIA WEC and the full IMSA season. They will share car #24 with Eng while van der Linde teams up with Wittmann in car #25.
The racing schedule presents challenges due to overlaps between series events. In May, only two drivers per car can participate in the FIA WEC event at Spa-Francorchamps due to conflicts with an IMSA event at Laguna Seca. During this time, Vanthoor and van der Linde will be racing in Laguna Seca.
For endurance races like Daytona, Sebring, and Road Atlanta in the IMSA series, additional LMDh drivers will bolster line-ups. Magnussen will compete in all three races in car #24, with Marciello joining as a fourth driver at Daytona. In car #25, Frijns will drive all three races alongside Rast who completes the Daytona quartet.
Optimising Performance
Andreas Roos, Head of BMW M Motorsport stated: "We have high goals for the upcoming season with our BMW M Hybrid V8 prototypes. To achieve these, we are striving for optimisations in all areas." He emphasised that focusing on driver specialisation is key to improving performance.
The more time drivers spend behind the wheel of the BMW M Hybrid V8, Roos explained, "the better they will get to know its handling." This familiarity allows them to provide valuable feedback to engineers which aids development efforts.
Strategic Benefits
The strategy of having some drivers compete across both championships enhances information exchange within teams. Roos believes this approach offers advantages despite scheduling overlaps like those seen in May when only two drivers per car can race at Spa-Francorchamps.
The early start of the season with January's 24-hour race at Daytona benefits team cohesion by allowing all eight drivers extended time together early on. This helps synchronise efforts optimally throughout subsequent races.
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