The Daytona 24 gave BMW M Motorsport a strong start to the new IMSA season, showing clear progress with the BMW M Hybrid V8 and securing BMW M Team WRT’s first ever IMSA overall podium. In its debut race in the GTP class, the Belgian team fought through traffic, long night stints, and relentless competition to bring home a hard earned third place, with Dries Vanthoor bringing the car home after a consistent and competitive run.
After a difficult qualifying session, both BMW M Hybrid V8s gradually fought their way forward from eighth and ninth on the grid and were in the top five when the race was neutralised during the night due to heavy fog. After 6:30 hours behind the safety car, a six-hour sprint to the finish followed. Both crews were not unsettled by interim setbacks due to drive-through penalties and minor technical problems and were in third and fourth place in the final hour of the race. Dries Vanthoor in the #24 BMW M Hybrid V8 secured third place and thus the podium for himself and his driver colleagues Sheldon van der Linde, Robin Frijns and René Rast.
The #25 car and drivers Philipp Eng, Marco Wittmann, Kevin Magnussen and Raffaele Marciello had to pit again for refuelling shortly before the end due to an alternative strategy and dropped back to eighth position.
The BMW M Hybrid V8 showed clear improvements over last season, running competitive stint averages and staying in the fight with Porsche and Cadillac. The crew managed traffic, strategy, and pit work well across the 24 hours, avoiding major setbacks and keeping the #24 car in podium contention. While the outright win remained just out of reach, the team executed a disciplined race that delivered a valuable podium and strong momentum for the season ahead. BMW M Motorsport leaves Daytona confident in the car’s development and optimistic for the races to come. Next up is the 12 Hours of Sebring on Saturday 21st March.
Final GTP Results for BMW
• #24 BMW M Hybrid V8 – 3rd place
• #25 BMW M Hybrid V8 – 8th place