Tag Archives: Valencia

BMW

2023 MotoGP™ finale: Francesco Bagnaia wins the BMW M Award again – Presentation of the new BMW XM Label Red Safety Car.

Valencia. The finale of the 2023 MotoGP™ season in the Spanish city of Valencia showcased the BMW XM Label Red twice on Saturday. First, the winner of the 2023 BMW M Award, Francesco Bagnaia, was presented with the top-of-the-range variant of the first BMW M high-performance car with an electric drive system. Later, the new BMW XM Label Red Safety Car for the 2024 MotoGP™ season was unveiled by BMW M GmbH.

BMW M Award: The most powerful BMW M car for the fastest qualifier.

BMW M GmbH celebrated the 25th year as the “Official Car of MotoGP™” by presenting the BMW XM Label Red as the prize car for the BMW M Award. It combines a performance-enhanced M HYBRID system and individual design accents. Francesco Bagnaia, the Ducati rider, claimed the 2023 BMW M Award for the second time in a row, after consistently securing top results in qualifying throughout the season. With seven pole positions and eight front row starts, Bagnaia accumulated 369 points in the BMW M Award, 93 more than his closest rival Jorge Martín.

Bagnaia expressed his excitement for winning the award again and thanked BMW M for the recognition. He also promised to strive for another win next year.

High-performance for the racetrack: the BMW XM Label Red Safety Car.

The BMW XM Label Red will make its debut as the new MotoGP™ Safety Car in the upcoming 2024 season, marking the first time an electric high-performance car will lead the field in motorcycle racing. The BMW XM Label Red Safety Car was officially unveiled at the Valencia season finale and will be seen on the track for the first time at the opening round of the 2024 season in Qatar in March.

The CEO of Dorna Sports, Carmelo Ezpeleta, and CEO of BMW M, Franciscus van Meel, expressed their anticipation for the new safety car, emphasizing its powerful drive system and exceptional driving dynamics for MotoGP™ safety purposes.

The new BMW XM Label Red MotoGP™ Safety Car features a V8 engine, an e-motor integrated in the 8-speed M Steptronic gearbox, and various safety car elements, including additional flashing lights, safety car roof bar, front splitter, Recaro seats, six-point racing harness, and a fire extinguisher.

For more information about BMW M GmbH and the involvement as the ‘Official Car of MotoGP™’, see: www.bmw-m.com

* BMW XM Label Red: combined fuel consumption: 2.0 – 1.6 l/ 100 km; combined electricity consumption: 33.5 – 32.5 kWh/100 km; combined CO₂ emissions: 45 – 35 g/km in the WLTP cycle; figures for the NEDC cycle: –

BMW

GT World Challenge Europe: BMW M Team WRT Secures Victory at Valencia

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.”