Munich. Just a few weeks after announcing the Hypercar
line-up, the GT drivers who will represent BMW M Motorsport in 2025
in the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC) and the IMSA
WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IMSA series) have been
confirmed. Valentino Rossi (ITA) will enter his second year in the
LMGT3 category of the FIA WEC with the #46 BMW M4 GT3 EVO. He will
share the cockpit with newcomer Kelvin van der Linde (RSA) and Ahmad
Al Harthy (OMA). In the #31 The Bend Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 EVO, BMW M
works driver Augusto Farfus (BRA) will be joined by two new
partners, Timur Boguslavskiy and Yasser Shahin. In the IMSA series,
Paul Miller Racing will compete with two BMW M4 GT3 EVOs and an
all-works driver line-up in the GTD PRO class. Turner Motorsport
will also rely on works driver support in the GTD category
.
FIA WEC: Second attempt at Le Mans victory and world
championship title.
Team WRT enters the 2025 FIA WEC season with the goal of competing
for victory in the LMGT3 class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (FRA) and
the world championship title. Once again, nine-time motorcycle world
champion Valentino Rossi is part of the team. He will share the
cockpit of the #46 BMW M4 GT3 EVO with Kelvin van der Linde and Ahmad
Al Harthy. While Al Harthy was Rossi's teammate in 2024, van der Linde
joins as a new BMW M works driver.
In the #31 The Bend Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 EVO, there are two changes.
Augusto Farfus – who finished second at Le Mans and fourth in the
championship standings in 2024 – remains on board and will share the
cockpit with newcomers Timur Boguslavskiy and Yasser Shahin.
Boguslavskiy has an impressive history in the Fanatec GT World
Challenge Europe powered by AWS, where he competed alongside current
BMW M works driver Raffaele Marciello (SUI) and was crowned champion
in 2020 and 2023. Shahin competed in the 2024 FIA WEC season for Team
Manthey EMA, finishing second in the championship standings. Along the
way, he triumphed at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 6 Hours of
Spa-Francorchamps (BEL). In 2021 and 2022, Shahin won the title in the
GT World Challenge Australia. In 2024, he won the Bathurst 12 Hour
(AUS) in the Pro-Am class.
IMSA series: Ten BMW M works drivers in three BMW M4 GT3 EVOs.
The IMSA series season traditionally begins at the end of January
with a season highlight, the 24 Hours of Daytona (USA). A total of
ten BMW M works drivers will take the wheel of three BMW M4 GT3 EVOs
for the Paul Miller Racing and Turner Motorsport teams, five of whom
will compete throughout the entire IMSA season. Paul Miller Racing
will field two cars in the GTD PRO class. In the #1 BMW M4 GT3 EVO,
the two Americans, Madison Snow and Neil Verhagen, will compete for
the entire season. They will be supported by Connor De Phillippi (USA)
and Kelvin van der Linde (RSA) at endurance races. The South African
will make his racing debut as a BMW M works driver at the 24h Daytona.
In the #48 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, Dan Harper (GBR) and Max Hesse (GER) will
enter their first IMSA season. Additional drivers at endurance races
are Jesse Krohn (FIN) and Augusto Farfus (BRA).
Turner Motorsport will field the #96 BMW M4 GT3 EVO in the GTD
category. BMW M works driver Robby Foley (USA) will once again compete
for the entire season alongside Patrick Gallagher (USA). Jake Walker
(USA) will support the team at endurance races. The fourth driver at
Daytona is BMW M works driver Jens Klingmann (GER).
Andreas Roos (Head of BMW M Motorsport): “As with our
Hypercar works programmes, we can look forward to great BMW M
Motorsport driver line-ups in the GT3 customer racing programmes of
the FIA WEC and IMSA series in 2025. I congratulate Team WRT on once
again securing some of the best Silver and Bronze drivers for the
cockpits of our two new BMW M4 GT3 EVOs. They will hopefully create
many great moments alongside our three works drivers. In the IMSA
series, Paul Miller Racing is going all out with two BMW M4 GT3 EVOs
in the GTD PRO class, supported by a high-class selection of works
drivers. The reunion of the former BMW Junior Team with Dan Harper,
Max Hesse, and Neil Verhagen in one championship and team is a great
bonus that underlines the extreme success of the relaunch of the
legendary BMW M Motorsport talent promotion programme.”
Björn Lellmann (Head of Customer Racing at BMW M
Motorsport): “In the 2025 season, the BMW M4 GT3 EVO makes
its debut, and the FIA WEC and IMSA series are two of the most
prestigious arenas for the car. Accordingly, our determination to
achieve immediate success and demonstrate what the car is capable of
is great. The strong driver line-ups of the WRT, Paul Miller Racing,
and Turner Motorsport teams provide the optimal conditions for this.
Looking at the IMSA series, I am thrilled with how Paul Miller Racing
is approaching the new season. With the team's experience, the new
car, and the driver line-up, the focus can only be on targeting the
title in the GTD PRO class. Turner Motorsport was in contention for
the GTD championship for a long time in 2024. I am convinced that Will
Turner's experienced team will play a great role again in the upcoming
season. I can hardly wait for the first races.“
Valentino Rossi: “Very happy to continue my
experience in the FIA WEC, as last year was a strong debut season. We
had some good races including two podiums and we want to try to be
stronger and faster. We will work hard together with BMW M Motorsport
to improve our performance and be more competitive in every race. It’s
great to once again race at some fantastic tracks, that I know well
from racing motorcycles, and this makes me enjoy racing in the FIA
WEC. Le Mans is of course the most important one, we were unlucky last
year, but we will fight for the podium in 2025!”
Driver line-ups overview:
FIA WEC:
#31
The Bend Team WRT
BMW M4 GT3 EVO:
Augusto Farfus (Pro)
Timur Boguslavskiy (Silver)
Yasser Shahin (Bronze)
#46 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, Team WRT:
Kelvin van der Linde (Pro)
Valentino Rossi (Silver)
Ahmad Al Harthy (Bronze)
IMSA series:
#1 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, Paul Miller Racing, GTD PRO:
Madison Snow
Neil Verhagen
Connor De Phillippi (Endurance)
Kelvin van der Linde (Endurance)
#48 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, Paul Miller Racing, GTD PRO:
Dan Harper
Max Hesse
Jesse Krohn (Endurance)
Augusto Farfus (Endurance)
#96 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, Turner Motorsport, GTD:
Robby Foley
Patrick Gallagher
Jake Walker (Endurance)
Jens Klingmann (24h Daytona)