Austin. After a very strong first half of the season with two
wins and two second-place finishes, BMW M Team WRT experienced a
difficult start to the second half of the FIA World Endurance
Championship (FIA WEC) at the “Lone Star Le Mans” in Austin (USA).
On the Circuit of the Americas, the two BMW M Hybrid V8s could do no
better than eighth and twelfth place. Nevertheless, Robin Frijns
(NED) and René Rast (GER) managed to maintain their lead in the
drivers’ standings. The 6-hour race in Texas also did not go as
hoped in the LMGT3 class
.

 

In the intense heat and high humidity, BMW M Team WRT was unable to
build on the outstanding performances from before the summer break.
Kevin Magnussen (DEN), Raffaele Marciello (SUI), and Dries Vanthoor
(BEL) started the race from eleventh on the grid and, thanks to
efficient driving, worked their way up into the top-5. However, after
a safety car phase about 45 minutes before the end, the #15 BMW M
Hybrid V8 could no longer keep up with the pace of its direct
competitors and ultimately finished in eighth place. A similar fate
befell Frijns, Rast, and Sheldon van der Linde (RSA) in the #20 Shell
BMW M Hybrid V8, who finished twelfth. Since the #7 Toyota retired
from the lead shortly before the finish, Frijns and Rast remain tied
at the top of the drivers’ standings. In the manufacturers’ standings,
BMW M Motorsport remains in second place with 131 points, nine points
behind Toyota.

 

In the LMGT3 class, both BMW M4 GT3 EVOs ran into trouble early in
the race. In car number 69, a minor collision in the opening phase
caused a puncture and heavy smoke in the cockpit, forcing Anthony
McIntosh (USA) to make an emergency pit stop. He was able to rejoin
the race after a short time, but the unscheduled stop also resulted in
a stop-and-go penalty. Nevertheless, McIntosh, Parker Thompson (CAN),
and Dan Harper (GBR) managed a remarkable comeback, finishing in
eleventh place. Car number 32, with Augusto Farfus (BRA), Sean Gelael
(INA), and Darren Leung (GBR), lost a lot of time due to a lengthy
repair stop caused by a faulty sensor and a two-minute penalty for
exceeding track limits, and could do no better than 16th place.

 

Comments after the Lone Star Le Mans:

 

Andreas Roos (Head of BMW M Motorsport):
“Unfortunately, we weren’t able to build on the strong first
half of the FIA WEC season on this track and in these conditions. In
addition, we were unable to deliver a flawless race with either car.
The result, with eighth and twelfth place, is disappointing compared
to what we have achieved so far with the BMW M Hybrid V8. Especially
with car number 20, whose drivers are at the top of the title fight,
points would have been important. In the end, we benefited from the
retirement of the #7 Toyota. I feel sorry for our competitors, who did
a great job and would have deserved the win. On the LMGT3 side, we
didn’t have a good race. Both cars had problems and we didn’t have a
flawless run on track. In such a strong field, that means you come
away empty-handed.”

 

Vincent Vosse (Team Principal BMW M Team WRT): “It
was a tough weekend. We didn’t have the necessary pace with our
Hypercars, but at least we scored some points. We’re happy that we
could maintain the lead in the drivers’ standings and stay in the
fight for first place in the manufacturers’ standings, but of course
the retirement of the Toyota is extremely unfortunate. The crew had
such a strong weekend. But that’s racing sometimes. In the LMGT3
class, we didn’t score any points. With the #69, we had a puncture,
and Anthony McIntosh had an incredibly hard time bringing the car back
to the pits with all the smoke in the cockpit.”

 

Dries Vanthoor (BMW M Team WRT, #15 BMW M Hybrid V8, 8th
place): “That wasn’t the result we were hoping for, but we
already knew before the race that it would be difficult here. Now we
have to look at why we lacked pace this time. On top of that, we
didn’t have a perfect race. The good news is that we still managed to
score some points.”

 

Robin Frijns (BMW M Team WRT, #20 Shell BMW M Hybrid V8, 12th
place): “A difficult weekend for us. We didn’t have the
pace here to keep up with the front runners. Unfortunately, there was
also a problem during my pit stop that cost me a few seconds. We need
to analyse what happened. Without that issue, we might have been able
to finish in the points, but more than sixth or seventh place wouldn’t
have been possible. The late retirement of the #7 Toyota was tough for
our competitors, but lucky for us, as it allowed us to stay at the top
of the drivers’ standings.”

 

Dan Harper (Team WRT, #69 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, 11th place LMGT3):
“Both cars outside the points – that’s obviously
disappointing. I feel sorry for the team, who worked so hard in the
heat and weren’t rewarded in the end. Many thanks to everyone! The
high temperatures and tyre wear were problematic. Now we have to look
ahead and try to do better in Fuji.”

 

Sean Gelael (Team WRT, #32 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, 16th place LMGT3):
“Unfortunately, another ‘what if’ race for us this season.
Everything went great at the start and we were already up to third
place. But then we had this sensor issue and lost ten laps in the
pits. After that, we just kept going to collect data for the next
races. Hopefully our bad luck will end soon and we can get good
results again.”