BMW Denies Tariff-Related IMSA Exit Rumors

Photo: Mike Levitt/IMSA

BMW M Motorsport director Andreas Roos has denied rumors linking the German manufacturer to a potential withdrawal from the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship over U.S. President Trump’s ongoing tariff war.

Multiple sources indicated to Sportscar365 over the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach weekend that the Bavarian brand could be forced to shutter its two-car factory GTP program due to the expected increased costs the recent tariffs imposed on foreign-made cars.

The auto tariffs, which include race cars and parts, are currently pegged at 25 percent, and is expected to impact multiple facets of the motorsport world.

BMW, along with several other German manufacturers, are known to have faced budget cuts internally already for this year, even prior to the arrival of tariffs.

Roos, however, flatly denied the widespread rumors of an imminent exit.

“At the moment, for us, there is no consequence at all,” he told Sportscar365. “We still have the racing in the IMSA championship. Just last weekend we ran the race at Long Beach.

“We still sell our cars in the U.S. BMW M is also doing very well in North America, so at the moment, there’s nothing changing for us.

“But on the other hand, you really at the moment look from one day to another because there are a lot of changes going on.

“We clearly hope that it stays stable and we can continue selling cars and also racing in the U.S.”

While all of BMW’s sedans, including its popular 3 and 4-series models, are built in Germany, the majority of its SUVs are manufactured in a plant in Spartanburg, S.C. that is subject to reduced tariffs depending on the amount of materials that are produced in the U.S.

“I don’t know where the rumors come from, to be honest,” said Roos.

“For us, the North American market is still a very strong and important market, especially for BMW M, but generally also for BMW.

“We are super happy to be participating there. There’s no reason for us why we should pull out.”

When asked if BMW Motorsport is committed long-term to North America, Roos said: “You have to see. But this is a normal process.

“You always evaluate how things are developing, not only on the [GTP] side, but in every championship you’re racing, how they are developing, if it’s still the right market, is the market going in the direction you have to go, do you maybe have to change something on how you approach the market, on the sales or racing side?

“This always has to play together. For the moment, we clearly see the market is important and we want to race there.”

BMW in “Normal Process” With 2026 GTP Team Tender

Roos, meanwhile, confirmed other media reports that indicated Team RLL’s contract with the manufacturer is up for renewal for the 2026 WeatherTech Championship season.

He indicated that BMW is in discussions with multiple other teams, as part of a regular tender process that’s enforced by German law.

“We never talk about details of the contract,” said Roos. “But it’s correct that there’s always certain dates which we have to discuss how the future will look like and how we continue working together.

“This is with drivers, this is with partners, this is with teams, with sponsors… with everybody.

“This is the normal process that we’re in, which we are discussing.

“We are discussing with Rahal but we also have other teams that are talking to us, maybe now because we managed to get our car into a window which is very competitive.

“We are also getting questions or requests from other teams.

“I’m happy about this. Then we will decide how we will do it in the future.”