SHERIDAN, WYOMING – Jan. 27, 2025 – BMW M Team RLL and Paul Miller Racing were poised for victory at the 24 Hours of Daytona (USA) for over 23 hours, but a dramatic final stage dashed their hopes. BMW M Motorsport's outstanding performance at the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IWSC) season opener was left unrewarded.
Key Points
- BMW M Hybrid V8 and BMW M4 GT3 EVO Show Strong Potential: Both cars demonstrated impressive speed and reliability throughout the race.
- Dries Vanthoor and Kelvin van der Linde Lead the Charge: Vanthoor, starting from pole position, built a significant lead, while van der Linde also contended for the win in the GTD-PRO class.
- Unfortunate Incidents: Both cars were ultimately forced out of contention due to collisions and technical issues.
- BMW M Motorsport Remains Optimistic: Despite the disappointment, BMW M Motorsport takes away positives from the race, highlighting the competitiveness of their cars and the strong performances of their drivers and teams.
Race Recap The BMW M Team RLL and Paul Miller Racing teams were optimistic about their chances of victory at the 24 Hours of Daytona, and their hopes were high for a successful start to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season.
Dries Vanthoor, driving the #24 BMW M Hybrid V8, secured pole position and quickly built a 25-second lead in his opening stint. While yellow flags interrupted his advantage, it demonstrated the car's impressive pace. Sheldon van der Linde also delivered a strong performance in the #25 BMW M Hybrid V8, setting the fastest race lap in 1:35.868 minutes.
In the GTD-PRO class, Paul Miller Racing's #48 BMW M4 GT3 EVO led the race for a period before being involved in a collision. Despite sustaining heavy damage, the team managed to repair the car and finish twelfth. The sister #1 car, driven by Kelvin van der Linde, also had a strong run, challenging for the win until an incident forced him back to fourth place.
Despite the disappointing outcome, BMW M Motorsport remains positive about the future. The BMW M Hybrid V8 and BMW M4 GT3 EVO proved to be competitive and reliable throughout the race, highlighting the team's strong potential for the upcoming season.
Quotes
- Franciscus van Meel (CEO of BMW M GmbH): "Of course we had hoped for a different outcome of the Daytona weekend. With 50 minutes left, we were in the fight for the win in all categories. Everyone could see how fast and reliable our car is. The drivers and the teams did a great job and made no mistakes. But that's racing."
- Andreas Roos (Head of BMW M Motorsport): "A big thank you to the entire team. Unfortunately, we had a weekend of ups and downs. If we only look at the race results, we cannot be satisfied with the fourth places in the GTP and GTD PRO classes. We started the weekend well, achieving very good results in both the free practice sessions and in qualifying – with Dries Vanthoor on pole position (GTP) and Dan Harper in third place (GTD PRO). That was very promising. For much of the race, we were able to compete for class victories and even the overall win. That's the positive we want to take with us. When you fight for the top positions in a 24-hour race for so long though, it is ultimately sad and disappointing for the teams and drivers who have invested a lot of work to get there - it would have been deserved to win at least one, if not the winner's trophy. Nevertheless, we must take the positives: the strong trend from 2024 clearly continues, we were able to build on it and field a competitive car in the GTP class here. The BMW M4 GT3 EVO has also shown in its third race that it can compete against the toughest competition – also in IMSA."
Looking Ahead Despite the missed opportunity at Daytona, BMW M Motorsport remains confident in their ability to compete at the highest level. The team will be looking to build on their strong performance and challenge for victories in the upcoming races of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.