BMW Adds Three Extra Pro Cars for 24H Spa

Photo: BMW

BMW has expanded its fleet of Pro cars for the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa by adding three additional entries to its full season GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Endurance Cup effort.

Team WRT tackles the bulk of the expansion by adding two cars to its existing program, while ROWE Racing goes from one to two entries.

WRT has enlisted all but one member of its FIA World Endurance Championship driver roster to boost its Spa presence, with Sheldon van der Linde, Dries Vanthoor, Marco Wittmann, Kevin Magnussen and Rene Rast all set to compete in the Ardennes endurance classic.

Van der Linde, Vanthoor and Wittmann will share the No. 31 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, while two-time 24H Spa winner Rast teams up with BMW GT3 newcomer Magnussen as well as Valentino Rossi in the No. 46 car.

Rossi confirmed plans to tackle a fourth consecutive 24H Spa last month, although no word was given at the time regarding his team or co-drivers.

Magnussen is set for his 24H Spa debut as well as his first GT3 outing with the Munich marque, while Rast returns to the event for the first time since 2019.

Notably, the German will contest his first endurance race in a BMW GT3 car since joining the brand’s factory driver roster, as his outing were limited to just DTM previously.

Rast also formed part of WRT’s last 24H Spa winning crew in 2014.

In the No. 31 car, meanwhile, Van der Linde and Vanthoor have been reunited after finishing on the overall podium last year.

The two additional cars join WRT’s full-time Pro entry driven by Ugo de Wilde, Kelvin van der Linde and Charles Weerts, which took victory at the Endurance Cup opener at Paul Ricard last month.

Meanwhile at ROWE, three time 24H Spa winner Philipp Eng will share the No. 998 BMW with former Junior Team squad mates Dan Harper and Max Hesse.

Notably, Harper forms part of Paradine Competition’s full season Bronze Cup entry in Endurance Cup. It is currently not yet known who will replace the Briton at the Darren Leung-led squad.

“We are proud to be able to compete this year with such an impressive line-up at the world’s largest GT3 race,” said Andreas Roos, head of BMW M Motorsport.

“Eleven BMW M4 GT3 EVOs, five of which are competing in the Pro Cup for the overall victory – that’s simply fantastic! Never before have we had more GT3 cars at the 24h Spa-Francorchamps.

“Many thanks to everyone involved at BMW M Motorsport, the teams, and the drivers, without whom such a massive race effort would be unthinkable.

“The fact that we could get Valentino Rossi, Kevin Magnussen, and René Rast to share a car is a real highlight for the fans at the track and in front of the screens.

“From the perspective of BMW M Motorsport, I am looking forward to the performances of all BMW M4 GT3 EVO crews: the quintet in the Pro Cup competing for the overall victory, as well as the sextet fighting for wins in the other classes.

“Particularly, they are proof of how attractive our BMW M4 GT3 EVO is for customer teams. This trust in our product honours us.”