The BMW M Team WRT, represented by Dries Vanthoor and Charles Weerts, emerged victorious in the Sunday race of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS (GTWC) at Valencia. This marked their first season win in the Sprint Cup. Despite starting from 13th place, the duo skillfully navigated the 36 laps on the Circuit Ricardo Tormo, ultimately crossing the finish line in first position. The BMW M Team WRT’s excellent race strategy was a significant factor in their success. In the previous day’s race, Vanthoor and Weerts had been the highest-placed BMW drivers, narrowly missing the podium and finishing in fifth place after starting from 15th position.
Valencia proved to be a weekend of mixed fortunes for the BMW M Team WRT. Valentino Rossi and Maxime Martin, driving the BMW M4 GT3 #46, encountered issues during Saturday’s qualifying. However, they showcased great determination in the race, managing to make a spirited comeback and gain 14 positions to finish in eighth place. In the Sunday qualifying session, Martin impressed with his skills in the rainy conditions, securing third position. Unfortunately, due to being forced onto the grass at the start, the #46 BMW M4 GT3’s coolers became blocked, causing an overheating engine and early retirement.
Niklas Krütten and Calan Williams had a disappointing weekend, with their BMW M4 GT3 #30 retiring on Saturday and finishing in 18th place on Sunday. Thomas Neubauer and Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer, driving the #31 BMW M4 GT3, finished 16th and 29th, respectively, in both races at Valencia.
After the races, the drivers shared their reactions:
Dries Vanthoor (#32 BMW M4 GT3): “It was a challenging weekend for us, but leaving Valencia with a win is the icing on the cake. Despite struggling in qualifying, we worked hard and benefited from the competitive performance of car #46. The collaboration within our team was key to our victory. This season hasn’t been the easiest, but hard work pays off.”
Charles Weerts (#32 BMW M4 GT3): “Overall, it was a positive weekend. Although our qualifying positions weren’t ideal, we managed to secure a good result, including a fifth-place finish in the first race. This win in the Sprint Cup feels fantastic. I want to express my gratitude to the team, BMW M Motorsport, and Dries.”
Maxime Martin (#46 BMW M4 GT3): “The weekend was quite okay for us in terms of performance. It’s disappointing not to finish the race after starting in third place, especially when we had a good car. We could have reached the podium on Sunday. Incidents like the one at the start can happen, but it’s crucial to understand and prevent them from recurring.”
Valentino Rossi (#46 BMW M4 GT3): “We had a successful comeback from the back of the grid on Saturday. On Sunday, both Maxime and I had a good pace. It’s frustrating to retire after the start, as we could have achieved a very good result.”