In an exhilarating weekend of high-octane racing at Fuji Speedway, BMW M Motorsport achieved a historic milestone, incomes its first-ever general podium within the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). The #15 BMW M Hybrid V8, pushed by Raffaele Marciello, Dries Vanthoor, and Marco Wittmann, stormed to a second-place end within the penultimate spherical of the 2024 season, marking a significant breakthrough for the staff’s Hypercar marketing campaign.
Amid a packed crowd of 68,500 followers, the Fuji occasion unfolded with pleasure and unpredictability. The #15 BMW M Hybrid V8 began from a formidable third on the grid after Vanthoor’s excellent qualifying lap, the best grid place the staff had achieved thus far. From the get-go, the BMW squad was decided to attain factors, with Wittmann transferring as much as second place within the early levels, skillfully holding off competitors from each Toyota and Ferrari.
The battle for the rostrum was fierce, particularly as pit methods and security automotive durations got here into play. The race-leading #6 Porsche 963, ranging from fifth on the grid, emerged as the first risk, utilizing a sensible pit cease technique to leapfrog each the BMW and the pole-sitting Cadillac Racing V-Collection.R. Regardless of this, the BMW M Hybrid V8 stored tempo. Whereas the #15 BMW was thriving, their sister automotive, the #20 BMW M Hybrid V8, confronted misfortune. Pushed by Robin Frijns, René Rast, and Sheldon van der Linde, the automotive sustained injury early within the race after Rast was pressured to take evasive motion to keep away from an accident. The particles from this incident brought about injury to the entrance of the automotive, costing the staff two laps and any likelihood of a aggressive end, regardless of their robust tempo.
Because the race unfolded, championship rivals Toyota and Ferrari struggled to maintain up. The #7 Toyota GR010 Hybrid of Kamui Kobayashi, Mike Conway, and Nyck de Vries briefly confirmed promise, with de Vries delivering a very robust efficiency. Nevertheless, a pricey collision between Kobayashi and the #5 Porsche pushed by Matt Campbell ended the Toyota’s race on lap 163, dashing their title hopes. The #8 Toyota additionally confronted difficulties, dropping out of podium competition resulting from a late-race penalty for Ryo Hirakawa’s conflict with Porsche’s Kevin Estre. It was the primary time since 2015 that Toyota failed to position a automotive on the rostrum at their dwelling circuit.
Ferrari, too, had a difficult race. The #50 Ferrari 499P, pushed by Nicklas Nielsen, Antonio Fuoco, and Miguel Molina, briefly took the lead because of an impressed drive from Nielsen, regardless of the automotive’s worn tires. Nevertheless, Ferrari’s luck ran out as they fell again to ninth by the checkered flag, leaving their title hopes in jeopardy.
With Toyota and Ferrari faltering, the BMW M Hybrid V8 held its floor to complete second, marking a big achievement for BMW M Motorsport. This was a very particular second for the Vanthoor household, as Dries Vanthoor stood on the rostrum alongside his brother Laurens, driving for Porsche, solely the second time in WEC historical past that two brothers have shared a podium.
Because the race progressed, the battle for the ultimate podium spot intensified. With penalties eliminating the #50 Ferrari and the #35 Alpine, Mick Schumacher took benefit within the #36 Alpine, delivering a closing stint to safe third place.
The BMW M Hybrid V8’s success at Fuji not solely marked their first podium within the collection but additionally showcased the staff’s regular enchancment all through the season. Having scored simply six factors previous to this race, BMW M Group WRT has been constructing momentum, and this podium end may signify a turning level of their Hypercar journey.
