According to German media, BMW Motorsport will merge with BMW M GmbH from April 1, 2021. After the unexpected job change of BMW Motorsport boss Jens Marquardt, the racing division gets a new boss. Mike Krack, who has been working for BMW again since 2014 after various positions, will take over the management of the motorsport department. Krack was previously the BMW Head of Race and Test Engineering, Operations & Organization reporting to the M CEO Markus Flasch.
The merger comes during some interesting times for BMW Motorsport. The recent DTM and Formula E departures have left a void in motorsport activities for BMW. The U.S. side of racing also saw a reduction in races in 2021. The M8 GTE racing cars will compete in only four endurance races in 2021.
Most of the focus this year is on the development of the BMW M4 GT3 which arrives in 2022 replacing the current M6 GT3. The M6 sportscar will still race in DTM this year, but not as a factory-backed car. The privateers Walkenhorst Motorsport and ROWE Racing are in charge of those races.
There are also rumors going around that BMW is eyeing a new hypercar class. Audi and Porsche will race in the LMDh (Le Mans Daytona hybrid) category starting in 2023. Other automakers like Toyota, Peugeot and Ferrari are working on an LMH (Le Mans Hypercar). Will BMW join them? There are no leaks on the topic at the moment, but based on BMW’s expertise in the hybrid field, it might make sense.
[Source: Motorsport-magazine]
