The #72 BMW M4 GT3 of BMW M Team RMG, which started from pole position finished in third place at the 24-hour Nürburgring. Only just under seven and a half hours of regular racing conditions were possible before a break of over 14 hours ensued, leading to a conclusion marked by five formation laps behind the safety car.
Shortest Race Ever
This year’s event set a new record for the shortest distance and race time ever completed at the Nürburgring 24 Hours. The race covered just 50 laps, surpassing the previous record set in 2021 of 59 laps and nine hours and 30 minutes. Frank Stippler, Christopher Mies, Ricardo Feller and Dennis Marschall from the Scherer Sport PHX Audi team were declared winners, followed by #911 Manthey EMA Porsche team of Laurens Vanthoor, Kevin Estre, Thomas Preining and Ayhancan Guven.
The car, adorned in the design of BMW M Motorsport Premium Technology Partner Shell, was driven by BMW M Motorsport Gen2K drivers Max Hesse (GER), Dan Harper (GBR), and Charles Weerts (BEL). The ROWE Racing #98 BMW M4 GT3, piloted by Raffaele Marciello (SUI), Marco Wittmann (GER), Maxime Martin (BEL), and Augusto Farfus (BRA), secured seventh position. Unfortunately, the ROWE Racing #99 BMW M4 GT3, with Sheldon van der Linde (RSA), Dries Vanthoor (BEL), Robin Frijns (NED), and Farfus sharing driving duties, led the race early on but retired after an unavoidable accident.
Rain As Always
As almost always, the race started off characteristically turbulent, with rain pouring onto the starting grid, turning tire selection into a gamble. In the pole-sitting #72 BMW M4 GT3, starting driver Harper pitted after the formation lap to switch to drying wets, as did Wittmann in the #98. Meanwhile, Farfus in the #99, who had already started on those tires, surged from seventh on the grid to the front within 20 minutes. Harper and Wittmann also climbed the ranks swiftly, positioning themselves back at the front. Driver changes began after about two hours, with van der Linde taking over the #99 car and continuing to contend at the front.
However, in the fourth hour, the leading BMW M4 GT3 retired through no fault of its own. While lapping, van der Linde was struck on the left rear by a slower car, causing a collision with another vehicle and ending their fight for victory in the track barrier.
Attention then shifted to the other two BMW M4 GT3s still in contention. As fog thickened over the Nordschleife, the race was suspended at 23:22, with car #72 in second place and #98 in seventh. After over 14 hours, at 13:30 on Sunday afternoon, the field returned to the track behind the safety car for five formation laps.
The car order was based on the standings when the class leader crossed the finish line penultimate to the red flag. Minimum pit stop times accrued by that point were also factored in, placing #72 in third and #98 in eighth. Ultimately, the race director decided not to restart the race after the formation laps, cementing the #72 in third place and the #98, which had made a pit stop, in seventh.
In other classes of the 24-hour race, BMW M Motorsport teams secured nine victories. FK Performance Motorsport celebrated a one-two finish in the SP10 class with the BMW M4 GT4. In the SP8T class, the BMW M4 GT4 swept all three podium places, with former BMW M works drivers Timo Glock and Timo Scheider (both GER) among the victors.
An overview of all class winners:
- SP10: #188 BMW M4 GT4, FK Performance Motorsport, Maxime Oosten (NED), Nick Wüstenhagen, Nick Hancke, Lorenz Philipp Stegmann (all GER)
- SP8T: #145 BMW M4 GT4, Cerny Motorsport, Timo Glock, Timo Scheider (both GER), Jeroen Bleekemolen (NED), Peter Cate (GBR)
- M240i: #650 BMW M240i Racing, Adrenalin Motorsport Team Mainhattan Wheels, Sven Markert, Philipp Stahlschmidt, Nick Deißler (all GER), Ranko Mijatovic (SUI)
- SP3: #275 BMW 318ti, Marc David Müller, Christopher Groth, Alexander Becker (all GER)
- SP4: #152 BMW 325CI, Ingo Oepen, Henrik Launhardt, Thorsten Köppert (all GER)
- SP6: #207 BMW M3 CSL, Hofor Racing, Michael Kroll, Chantal Prinz (both SUI), Alexander Prinz, Thomas Mühlenz (both GER)
- V4: #711 BMW 325i, Desiree Müller, Tim Lukas Müller, Henning Hausmeier (all GER), Michael Fischer (AUT)
- VT2-Hecka: #504 BMW 330i, SRS Team Sorg Rennsport, Piet-Jan Ooms (NED), Hans Joachim Theiß, Mathias Baar (both GER), Yutaka Seki (JPN)
- VT3: #599 BMW 335i, Keeevin Sports and Racing, Serge Van Vooren, Jörg Schönfelder, Meik ter Haar, Guido Wirtz (all GER)
