2026 Simola Hillclimb accolades for BMW

Midrand. BMW Group South Africa has concluded its participation in the Simola Hillclimb in Knysna for 2026, one of South Africa’s leading motorsport events and a globally recognised platform for performance and engineering excellence.

Since its inception in 2009, the Simola Hillclimb has established itself as a benchmark motorsport event. The 1.9-kilometre course continues to test the limits of driver skill and vehicle capability, attracting leading manufacturers, professional drivers and international attention.

BMW Group South Africa fielded a four-driver line-up comprising BMW Motorsport Works driver Jens Klingmann (BMW M5 Sedan), Cristiano Verolini (BMW M4 Coupé), Leyton Fourie (BMW M2 Coupé) and Ronaldo Verolini (MINI JCW). Fourie and Verolini claimed class honours in the A3 and A4 categories of the King of the Hill competition, respectively, with times of 45.931 seconds and 44.505 seconds.

The selection of high-performance BMW M models and a MINI JCW delivered strong performances across the weekend, demonstrating the precision, control and engineering excellence synonymous with the brands.

BMW Group South Africa CEO, Peter van Binsbergen says: “The Simola Hillclimb continues to be an important platform for BMW Group South Africa. It allows us to demonstrate what our vehicles are capable of in a highly competitive environment, while connecting with a passionate motorsport community.

“To secure two class wins this year is another strong result for the team. It reflects the capability of our performance vehicles, as well as the focus, discipline and collaboration behind the scenes to deliver performance at this level.”

The nature of Hillclimbing demands precision, control and trust between driver and machine. These attributes remain central to BMW’s engineering philosophy, where performance and innovation are continuously developed to deliver a premium driving experience.

Alongside BMW, MINI continues to contribute to this performance-driven ethos through its own unique expression of driving excitement and brand character.

Beyond competition, the Simola Hillclimb continues to play a role in positioning South Africa as a competitive destination for international motorsport, showcasing local capability and industry expertise.

BMW Group South Africa remains committed to supporting platforms that showcase performance, innovation and the continued development of the automotive sector.