ROWE and WRT with BMW M4 GT3 in GTWorldChEu, WEC and Nürburging

WECSRONUR24LMGT3

Feb 4

📷 © Luc Warnotte: Martin with #46 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 ahead of Eng with Rowe Racing #98 BMW M4 GT3 at 3 Hours of Nürburgring 2023.

ROWE Racing and Team WRT will represent BMW M Motorsport in the 2024 season at the two major endurance classics at the Nürburgring and Spa-Francorchamps as well as GT World Challenge Europe and WEC:

Five BMW M4 GT3 entries in GT World Challenge Europe with ROWE Racing (2) and Team WRT (3).

WRT Team will align two BMW M4 GT3 in WEC LMGT3 class
Rowe Racing with two BMW M4 GT3 at 24 Hours of Nürburgring 2024.

WRT Team with two BMW M4 GT3 in WEC LMGT3

📷 © Luc Warnotte: Martin, Farfus and Rossi with #46 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 at 3 Hours of Monza

The FIA WEC regulations stipulate that each LMGT3 car must have a crew of 3 drivers from three FIA categories: one with Platinum or Gold status, a Silver and a Bronze-rated driver.

In the BMW M Team WRT #31 BMW M4 GT3, BMW M factory driver Augusto Farfus shares the cockpit with Silver driver Sean Gelael and Bronze driver Darren Leung.
In the #46 BMW M4 GT3, alongside Silver-rated Valentino Rossi, Platinum driver Maxime Martin and Bronze driver Ahmad Al-Harthy will be in action. Al-Harthy was one of the fastest Bronze drivers last year in LMGTE which’ll be an asset for the #46. Let us hope that Rossi’ll not be the the weakest link as he was last year in GTWChE!

Maxime Martin: “I am very excited to return to the FIA WEC for a full season in a completely new class. With Valentino and Ahmad, we have a very strong crew. The competition will undoubtedly be exciting and high-class. I can’t wait to get started again”.

Augusto Farfus: “I feel honoured to be part of the WEC project of BMW M Motorsport and WRT, I always wanted to have a full campaign in the WEC and now is the right time to join the new platform. We have a strong package, we are eager to share the experience and we are ready for the WEC and Le Mans.” Source: BMW Group

ROWE and WRT in GT World Challenge Europe

ROWE goal is defending the title in the Ardennes

📷 © Courtesy of BMW Group: ROWE Racing celebrating victory at 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps 2023.

Similar to last year, ROWE Racing will compete in the five races of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Endurance Cup with two BMW M4 GT3s. Two cars will also be in action on the Nordschleife.

Philipp Eng, Marco Wittmann and Nick Yelloly aim to defend their jointly achieved victory at the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps in 2023. They will share the cockpit of a BMW M4 GT3 in four races of the Fanatec GT Endurance Cup. Due to a schedule clash between the event at Monza in September and the IMSA Indianapolis race, Eng and Yelloly cannot compete together with Wittmann that weekend. The driver line-up for that race will be announced at a later date.

📷 © Luc Warnotte: BMW Junior Team with Rowe Racing BMW M4 GT3 at 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps 2023.

In the team’s other BMW M4 GT3, Dan Harper and Max Hesse will once again hit the track. Augusto Farfus joins as the third driver, returning to ROWE Racing. He first raced with the squad in 2022 and in 2023, he competed for the team at the Nürburgring and in Macau. Farfus reunites with Hesse and Harper, with whom he previously shared the cockpit as a mentor of the BMW Junior Team on the Nordschleife.

Hans-Peter Naundorf (Team Manager ROWE Racing): “I am pleased that our partnership with BMW M Motorsport is now entering its ninth year. It is characterised by great mutual respect and an exceptionally loyal collaboration. Having the winning trio from last year allows us to embark on the title defense at Spa, providing a perfect foundation to once again compete for victory. Additionally, two of the three driver positions remain unchanged in the sister car, and Augusto Farfus brings additional qualities with his driving skill, vast experience, and exemplary team spirit.”

Team WRT aims for Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe title

Three BMW M4 GT3 entries for Team WRT in GT World Challenge Europe 2024:

📷 © Luc Warnotte: Vanthoor and Weerts at 3 Hours of Monza.

Dries Vanthoor and Charles Weerts will participate in both the Sprint Cup and the Endurance Cup. For the endurance races, including the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, they will be supported by Sheldon van der Linde.
Valentino Rossi, Maxime Martin, and Raffaele Marciello will compete in the Endurance Cup, with Rossi and Martin also participating in selected Sprint Cup events.
Klingmann will compete in the Bronze class of the Endurance Cup together with Al-Harthy and Sam de Haan.

Vincent Vosse (Team Principal, BMW M Team WRT): “In GT racing, we had a positive start to our collaboration with BMW M Motorsport last year. We took up the challenges, we won races, long-distance and sprint ones, and we collected some memorable moments like those lived in Misano. But we want more! We want to improve, to win more races, to be champions again. I think we have what it takes, including stellar line-ups, and we’ll go for it. Now is the time, to show we know what to do, with the determination and the passion we have always had.”

📷 © Courtesy of BMW Group: Vanthoor (Left) and Weerts (Right) success at Valencia 2023.

Dries Vanthoor: “It is going to be a very busy season for me, but I am fully motivated. I am happy to be back with Charles in the GT World Challenge for a fifth season together, where we aim to bounce back and put things straight again.”

Charles Weerts: “New season, new chances, same targets! We will try to do our best, as we always do, and take all the lessons from 2023. We know the car better, with Dries and Sheldon we’ll try to perform as we should, and the team has worked very hard. The goal is to win races and titles, I am fully motivated and can’t wait to be driving again.” Source: BMW Group

ROWE Racing at 24 Hours of Nürburgring

Two ROWE Racing BMW M4 GT3s will also be in action on the Nordschleife. The goal is launching an assault on the second Nürburgring triumph after 2020.

📷 © Luc Warnotte at Nürburgring: Rowe Racing BMW M4 GT3 #98 at NLS2

Seven BMW M works drivers will compete in the two BMW M4 GT3s. Alongside GTWC drivers Wittmann and Farfus, these are Sheldon van der Linde, Maxime Martin, Dries Vanthoor, and the two new additions Robin Frijns and Raffaele Marciello.

Hans-Peter Naundorf (Team Manager ROWE Racing): “This year, we will have seven BMW M works drivers on the Nordschleife. For the first time, Robin Frijns and Raffaele Marciello will compete for ROWE Racing in the 24h Nürburgring, whom we have known as formidable opponents. Our entire team looks forward to collaborating with two such successful and fast drivers, and we warmly welcome them to the ROWE Racing family.”

Robin Frijns: “At my last start on the Nordschleife in 2022, I won the 24-hour race together with Dries Vanthoor. Now, I am very excited about my debut for BMW M Motorsport. It is one of the biggest motorsport events in Germany, and the fans there are particularly enthusiastic. It never gets boring for a driver on the Nordschleife. I am curious to see how my debut in the BMW M4 GT3 will go.”

Raffaele Marciello: “I am very excited to return to the Nordschleife – especially with BMW M Motorsport and ROWE Racing, as they have an impressive shared history of good results there. I have never won the race, but I have reached the podium. Accordingly, my hope for a strong race is great. But first, I need to prepare very well together with the team and in the new car.” Source: BMW Group