The #20 Shell BMW M Hybrid V8 has won the second race of the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC) season, in front of 101k fans in Spa-Francorchamps. Robin Frijns, René Rast, and Sheldon van der Linde triumphed after a six-hour thriller ahead of their teammates Kevin Magnussen, Raffaele Marciello, and Dries Vanthoor. It was the first overall victory for BMW M Motorsport since entering the World Endurance Championship for the 2024 season.
After a disappointing qualifying session on Saturday, the two BMW M Hybrid V8s started the race from only tenth and eleventh positions, but Magnussen made up important places right after the start, putting car #15 in a good position. Car #20 was initially stuck in eleventh place, but a bold strategy with a shorter first pit stop brought Rast to the front. From that point on, Rast, van der Linde, and Frijns showed impressive pace, built up a lead, and were able to take the lead during a yellow flag period, even after pit stops were accounted for. Frijns brought the car safely to the finish. whilst behind him, Magnussen put up a fantastic fight and defended second place in style. The crew of car #15 made a strong comeback after Vanthoor spun following an unavoidable collision.
The season highlight, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, is just around the corner in June, and after the celebrated one-two finish at their home, the BMW M Team WRT head to Le Mans with serious momentum. BMW M Team WRT currently leads both the drivers’ and manufacturers’ standings of the FIA WEC after two out of eight races.
