FIA WEC Fuji: BMW M4 GT3 EVO on the podium again – Top-ten finish for the BMW M Hybrid V8.

Fuji. Second place in Austin (USA), third place in Fuji (JPN): the BMW M4 GT3 EVO continues its successful streak in the final stages of the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC). In the penultimate race at the Fuji International Speedway, Augusto Farfus (BRA), Timur Boguslavskiy, and Yasser Shahin (AUS) drove the #31 The Bend Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 EVO to a third-place finish. The trio achieved an impressive comeback from 14th on the grid. The #46 car, which had finished second in Austin, secured another strong fourth-place result this time. In the Hypercar class, the #20 Shell BMW M Hybrid V8 crossed the finish line in ninth place, while the #15 car retired after a crash.

The Japanese fans witnessed a spectacular six-hour race filled with numerous overtakes and collisions. Unfortunately, the #15 BMW M Hybrid V8, driven by Kevin Magnussen (DEN), Raffaele Marciello (SUI), and Dries Vanthoor (BEL), was involved in two incidents. First, Magnussen was hit and spun by another car. Later, Marciello had to avoid a suddenly slowing Hypercar, resulting in a crash into the track barrier, which ended the race for the car.

The #20 car started from an excellent fifth position after a strong qualifying performance by Sheldon van der Linde (RSA). During the race, he and his teammates René Rast (GER) and Robin Frijns (NED) fought hard to recover after a drive-through penalty. Their efforts concluded with a ninth-place finish.

Both BMW M4 GT3 EVO cars in the LMGT3 class delivered spectacular comebacks. After a disappointing qualifying session, the cars started from 11th and 14th positions but quickly worked their way up the field. The final stages turned into a strategic gamble, with the #31 car securing a well-earned third place. Right behind, Kelvin van der Linde (RSA), Valentino Rossi (ITA), and Ahmad Al Harthy (OMA) finished fourth in the #46 BMW M4 GT3 EVO.

Comments after the race:

Andreas Roos (Head of BMW M Motorsport): "On the Hypercar side, it was a tough weekend. After our first podium in FIA WEC here a year ago, we had hoped for much more than ninth place. Unfortunately, we had some bad luck during the race with yellow flags and safety cars. On top of that, the #20 car received a drive-through penalty. Ultimately, we also lacked that final bit of pace needed to achieve a top result. I feel sorry for the #15 crew who were involved in two collisions through no fault of their own. On the other side of the garage, there is great joy over another podium for the BMW M4 GT3 EVO. Third and fourth places are the result of fantastic team performances. Congratulations to Augusto Farfus, Timur Boguslavskiy, and Yasser Shahin on the podium finish. Our goal now is to deliver a strong season finale in Bahrain with all our cars."

Vincent Vosse (Team Principal, BMW M Team WRT): "Looking at the Hypercars, it was a disappointing weekend. Ultimately, the #20 car finished ninth. We had some bad luck with the safety car, but that wasn’t the end of the world. Even the winning #35 Alpine had a drive-through penalty. It was all about being in the right place at the right time. Congratulations to the Alpine crew on their first FIA WEC victory. As for us, the #15 car was heavily damaged after Raffaele Marciello’s crash. It seems the car in front of him suddenly slowed down due to technical issues, and he couldn’t avoid the accident. The third and fourth places in the LMGT3 class were achieved thanks to our fantastic teamwork. We didn’t have the best pace, but we did a flawless job."

Robin Frijns (BMW M Team WRT, #20 Shell BMW M Hybrid V8, 9th place): "A tough weekend. From the first practice session, we didn’t have the pace we had hoped for. We managed to improve, but in the end, we weren’t fast enough. In qualifying, we definitely overperformed with fifth place thanks to a fantastic lap by Sheldon. In the race, we had a bit of bad luck and a drive-through penalty, but we were still in a decent position. However, we couldn’t hold onto it due to our lack of pace."

Raffaele Marciello (BMW M Team WRT, #15 BMW M Hybrid V8, DNF): "It’s very unfortunate that we had to end the race this way. I’m curious about the outcome of the investigation into my crash. Overall, it was a tough weekend, and we lacked some pace. Still, after the early contact, we made up ground in the race and could have scored some points, especially since several cars ahead of us had penalties or incidents. Now we’re focusing on the season finale in Bahrain."

Augusto Farfus (The Bend Team WRT, #31 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, 3rd place): "Given the pace we had this weekend, we didn’t expect to move so far forward in the race but we did an excellent job. We had to overcome a few hurdles, but the team handled them brilliantly. The car was much better in the race than in qualifying. The podium feels very rewarding."

Timur Boguslavskiy (The Bend Team WRT, #31 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, 3rd place): "We’re very happy with this podium. We weren’t the fastest in the race, but we still earned third place. We were close in Austin, and this time it finally worked out. I’m not entirely satisfied with my own performance, but Augusto and Yasser did an amazing job."

Yasser Shahin (The Bend Team WRT, #31 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, 3rd place): "What a fantastic race result.  We really didn’t think we had a chance but a great drive from all three drivers and all the right strategy calls delivered today."

Kelvin van der Linde (Team WRT, #46 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, 4th place): "Third and fourth places are a very good team result. This race marks the end of four extremely busy weeks. A podium in Austin, a podium here, plus wins in Suzuka and Valencia – it’s been an incredibly successful month for the team and for me personally. I’m proud of the entire crew."