WEC | BMW, hard work yields podium: “We can stay with the frontrunners”

Two weeks late (we can safely say), BMW scores its first podium in the FIA ​​World Endurance Championship thanks to a super performance at the 6 Hours of Fuji.

Climbing onto the second step behind the winning Porsche were the boys of the #15 M Hybrid V8, Raffaele Marciello, Dries Vanthoor and Marco Wittmann, with a potential that had already been seen in Austin, when between accidents and problems of various kinds the two LMDh managed by Team WRT had slipped back.

Vanthoor had already done very well to secure third place on the starting grid, while behind them the multiple collision on the second lap triggered by Robert Kubica damaged the #20 of their colleagues Frijns/Rast/Van Der Linde, who dropped down the order and were far from the fight for the positions that count.

Wittmann gained second place at the start and the duel with Porsche and Cadillac continued for a long time, until the V-Serie.R had a puncture and, subsequently, an accident ending up out of the game, thus opening the doors to Marciello (good at fighting by overtaking rivals with skill and aggression) to consolidate a very precious second place and an excellent omen for the future.

“The first podium is fantastic for the project and for everyone at BMW, especially Vincent Vosse and Andreas Roos, who have put so much effort into this program. We have seen progress throughout the season, after Austin, we thought this track was not so favorable for us, but the improvements we made have paid off,” comments ‘Lello’.

“It’s a great boost for us riders and for the team. It’s not just about the podium, but the possibility of competing with the front runners and getting good performances. It’s a fantastic feeling.”

Vanthoor, who was fourth fastest in the race on average per lap, 0.3sec ahead of Kévin Estre’s 963, also found his brother Laurens popping the champagne with him on the podium: “Incredible race, the first podium for BMW in the FIA ​​WEC is a fantastic result. It’s a very special moment for everyone who worked so hard on this project.”

“Considering where we started this season, and seeing where we are now, it’s a huge improvement. Second place is great, but we’re not where we want to be yet: this is a win.”

Wittmann redeemed himself from the Austin test, faced with the flu that had also seen him spin due to a near fainting spell: “It’s a fantastic feeling for us drivers, for the whole team and for BMW. The fact that we achieved our first podium in the WEC with this project is wonderful”.

“We delivered great performances all weekend, both in practice and qualifying, and we had good pace in the race, driving flawlessly. If we look at where we started and the progress we’ve made, we can really be proud.”

“The first podium is an incredible feeling and the whole team did a fantastic job. I’m very happy and now we want to get an equally good result in Bahrain to end the season on a high.”

#20 BMW M Team WRT BMW M Hybrid V8: Sheldon Van Der Linde, Robin Frijns, Rene Rast

Photo by: Andreas Beil

Andreas Roos, Head of BMW M Motorsport, added: “The first podium in our debut season in the FIA ​​WEC is simply fantastic. Congratulations to the crew of the #15 car and the drivers! Having already had the pace to compete at the front at COTA, the M Hybrid V8 demonstrated from the very first lap in Fuji that it is capable of achieving a top result.”

“The fact that we managed to get second place this time and thus the podium makes me incredibly happy for everyone who has invested a lot of work in this project. I would like to thank them from the bottom of my heart.”

Vincent Vosse, WRT Team Principal, said: “Finally! We have arrived where we wanted to be. With the #15, we were at the top all weekend, which was an incredible feeling. Everyone did an outstanding job. I am very happy for the team, who have given their all for this project for a year and a half. We have reaped the reward we deserve. This result gives everyone an extra edge. Unfortunately, the #20 had an unavoidable contact, otherwise both cars would have had the same pace.”