BELGIAN SQUAD BMW M TEAM WRT MAKES HISTORY WITH STUNNING VICTORY AT SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS IN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
It was a historic weekend for Belgian motorsport. BMW M Team WRT, the official team of BMW M Motorsport, based in Bierset (Liège), claimed first and second place at the Circuit de Spa Francorchamps during the 6 Hours of Spa as part of the World Endurance Championship. A milestone achieved on home soil, in front of more than 101,000 fans.
The victory went to Sheldon van der Linde, Robin Frijns and René Rast in Car #20, while Belgian driver Dries Vanthoor, racing alongside Raffaele Marciello and former Formula 1 driver Kevin Magnussen in Car #15, fought his way to second place in a battle that went all the way to the final corner against a Ferrari.
Starting from tenth and eleventh on the grid, the result was far from guaranteed. Behind the scenes, the team made a series of crucial decisions after the start of the race that proved to make the difference. « We played it differently with each car, » explained Brussels-born BMW M Team WRT Sporting Director and former racing driver Thierry Tassin. « With the first car, we took a risk. We brought it in for an early pit stop, put less fuel in than the others, and sent it back out onto a clear track. That allowed our driver to go significantly faster than the cars virtually ahead, which were all stuck behind each other. That's how we moved to the front. With the second car, the approach was the opposite. We stayed out as long as possible and managed our resources carefully to gain an extra lap over our rivals. At just the right moment, a cautious period was called on track while we were already in the pits, which meant our stop cost us almost nothing. That put us in second place and from there, Kevin Magnussen fought hard to keep the Ferrari behind him and secure it. »
All of this in front of the team's local fans. « We could hear them cheering from the grandstands throughout the race » said Tassin. « You could feel they were with us. I have rarely seen an atmosphere like this outside of Le Mans. More than 101,000 people, grandstands still packed at the end of a six-hour race, everyone on their feet for the final laps and celebrating the podium with us. It was something truly special. »
Behind the result were months of preparation, precise execution and a team that never lost its nerve under pressure. « No technical problems, the right decisions at the right moment, drivers who made no mistakes » Tassin added. « This is what this team is capable of when everything comes together. It was a real team effort from start to finish. »
BMW M Team WRT Team Principal Vincent Vosse echoed those sentiments: « I could not have dreamed of a better result on home soil. I think back to the early days of this programme , the highs, the lows, all the hard work over the last four years, but also over the seventeen years of this team's history. This result belongs to every single person who has been part of this journey from day one. The drivers did a perfect job, the team made the right calls at the right time, and I could not be more happy and proud of my guys than I am right now. Hats off to everyone. »
The achievement goes beyond a single victory. BMW M Team WRT have made history by becoming the first team in the world to win overall in Hypercar, LMP2 and GT, every major category of international endurance racing. A feat no other team has ever achieved. The team also leads both World Championships. Seventeen years in the making, built from the ground up by Belgians former racing driver Vincent Vosse and entrepreneur Yves Weerts.
Car #20 Overall Winner in Hypercar (Robin Frijns, René Rast, Sheldon van der Linde)
Car #20 crossing the finish line
Car #15 - P2 - Raffaele Marciello - Kevin Magnussen - Dries Vanthoor + Andreas Roos (Head of BMW M Motorsport))
Car #15 P2 in Hypercar (Dries Vanthoor on the photo)
