SHERIDAN, WYOMING – May 23, 2025 – BMW’s momentum in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship shows no signs of slowing down, as the BMW M Hybrid V8 once again stole the spotlight at Laguna Seca. With a fourth consecutive pole position and a dramatic third-place podium finish for the #24 car, the race delivered excitement, strategy, and promising signals for fans and drivers alike.
Pole to Podium: BMW’s Bold Performance
Dries Vanthoor continued his qualifying dominance, securing the #24 BMW M Hybrid V8's fourth straight pole position, a feat achieved alongside teammate Philipp Eng. During the race, the duo fought fiercely, leading the field for the first 50 minutes and keeping pressure on the top contenders right to the final corner.
Despite a dramatic last-lap contact that spun the #24 off track, Vanthoor recovered swiftly to finish third. “I think P3 was almost the maximum we could have achieved today. The Porsches were again strong but we had a good race, the team did a great job. That I was pushed off in the last corner was unfortunate. It was a racing incident, even though I think it was unnecessary. We still have work to do but having had two podiums in two races is a very nice achievement, but we just want more after the qualifying achievements and win a race,” Vanthoor reflected.
Eng echoed the sentiment, saying, “It was a very exciting race and a very good weekend overall. Qualifying again was great from Dries and the entire team. The race was tricky but good fun. P3 is another good result but of course we wanted to get the victory. We had the pace and the package but in the end it didn’t quite work out. We will just work harder from here. Thanks to the whole team.”
Strategy and Speed from Car #25
The sister car #25, piloted by Marco Wittmann and Sheldon van der Linde, also showcased competitive pace. Starting from sixth, the team gambled on an alternate pit strategy that paid off, enabling Wittmann to charge through the field and secure a fourth-place finish—his best of the season so far.
“It was a difficult weekend for us, we had some issues in FP2 and qualifying. We tried to fix them for the race but went a bit blind into the race. Nevertheless we made some good progress, gained a couple of positions, had some good fights and good fun out there,” Wittmann noted. “Still we can be fairly happy with how the race went and with P4 considering how the weekend went. Now we need to look into the data and find some performance for the next races. Then the aim is to bring both cars on the podium and ideally chase the win.”
Looking Ahead: Optimism and Opportunity
BMW M Motorsport’s Head, Andreas Roos, praised the entire team for their relentless push toward the front. “The race weekend at Laguna Seca confirmed that we’ve continued to close the gap and are now fighting for top positions with the performance of our BMW M Hybrid V8. Dries Vanthoor taking the fourth consecutive pole position was sensational. Both cars delivered a strong performance in the race as well... The trend is clearly upward, and now we’ll continue working hard to take that final step and reward everyone’s hard work with a victory.”
Mixed Results for BMW M4 GT3 EVO Teams
While the BMW M Hybrid V8 stole headlines, the BMW M4 GT3 EVO teams experienced a tougher weekend. In the GTD-Pro class, the #48 Paul Miller Racing car driven by Dan Harper and Max Hesse secured a respectable fifth-place finish. Teammates Madison Snow and Neil Verhagen ended in tenth. In the GTD class, Turner Motorsport’s #96 car crossed the line in ninth place.
Experience the Action
The BMW M Motorsport teams continue their quest for victory with unrelenting drive and growing momentum. Fans can stay updated on future races, performance updates, and exclusive behind-the-scenes content through BMW’s official motorsport channels.
Learn more at www.bmw-m.com/motorsport