SHERIDAN, WYOMING – April 16, 2025 - BMW M Motorsport Celebrates a Milestone Weekend in Long Beach
BMW M Motorsport continued to dominate the qualifying rounds of the 2025 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, with a standout performance at the Long Beach street circuit. Dries Vanthoor, driving the #24 BMW M Hybrid V8, clinched his third consecutive pole position of the season, further solidifying the team’s pace supremacy. The weekend was also marked by BMW M Team RLL securing its first podium finish of the season, placing third in a highly competitive sprint race.
Pole Position Perfection and Podium Breakthrough
The qualifying round once again saw Dries Vanthoor at the top of the leaderboard. His impressive lap time earned the team its third pole in three races, following stellar showings at Daytona and Sebring. Right behind him, Sheldon van der Linde in the #25 BMW M Hybrid V8 locked in second place, resulting in a BMW front-row sweep.
BMW M Team RLL capitalized on this strong start early in the race, taking the lead positions. However, a mistimed pit stop during the first yellow flag phase reshuffled the grid dramatically. Despite the setback, Philipp Eng, who took over the #24 from Vanthoor, battled through to finish third, giving BMW M Motorsport its first podium of the 2025 season.
Resilient Recovery for the #25 BMW M Hybrid V8
The #25 car, driven initially by van der Linde and later by Marco Wittmann, faced even greater challenges during the pit phase, dropping as far back as tenth. Wittmann demonstrated grit and precision to work his way back up the field, ultimately crossing the line in fifth place.
“The third pole position in the third race of the season for Dries Vanthoor and the complete front row in BMW M Motorsport's hands – that was fantastic. We have the speed, but unfortunately, we were not completely error-free in the race, which cost us the chance of winning,” said Andreas Roos, Head of BMW M Motorsport. “Nevertheless, the first podium of the season for Dries Vanthoor and Philipp Eng is a success we can build on.”
Driver Reactions Highlight Mixed Emotions
While proud of their performances, both Eng and Wittmann voiced clear determination to convert qualifying success into race victories going forward.
“Starting from the first and second positions, this is obviously not the result we had hoped for. Unfortunately, we had a small issue during the pit stop, which caused us to fall behind the two Porsches,” said Philipp Eng, reflecting on the third-place finish. “Nevertheless, we are on the right track, and we will come back stronger in Laguna Seca.”
Marco Wittmann, who powered the #25 back to a fifth-place finish, echoed a similar sentiment: “Even though I managed a good comeback to fifth place, the disappointment prevails after this result. We need to learn from this and convert the strong pace that the BMW M Hybrid V8 has into top results next time.”
Strong Showing in GTD Class for Turner Motorsport
In the GTD category, Turner Motorsport fielded the #96 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, driven by Robby Foley and Patrick Gallagher. The pair showed solid pace and consistency, finishing in fifth place and earning valuable points in a highly competitive class.
Looking Ahead to Laguna Seca
BMW M Motorsport now turns its focus to the next IMSA round at Laguna Seca, aiming to build on its Long Beach momentum. With unmatched qualifying speed and a steadily improving race strategy, a victory seems well within reach.
Fans and motorsport enthusiasts can follow the latest updates and behind-the-scenes action at www.bmw-m.com/motorsport.
About BMW M Motorsport
BMW M Motorsport continues to push boundaries in high-performance racing with its innovative BMW M Hybrid V8. Competing in the top GTP class of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the team embodies BMW's dedication to engineering excellence and motorsport heritage.
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