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BMW

IMSA at Mosport: BMW M Team RLL Heads to Canada with Momentum Following BMW M Hybrid V8’s First Victory

Munich. The BMW M Team RLL is set to arrive at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CAN) with significant momentum after the BMW M Hybrid V8’s first victory at Watkins Glen (USA) two weeks ago. The upcoming weekend will see the sixth round of the 2023 IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship (IMSA series) take place at the circuit near Toronto, also known as Mosport.

After the race weekend at Watkins Glen, the team conducted additional testing at the same venue for two more days with Connor De Phillippi (USA) and Nick Yelloly (GBR). All four drivers also spent time in the simulator, as Philipp Eng (AUT), Augusto Farfus (BRA), and Yelloly are unfamiliar with the Canadian circuit. Eng, Farfus, and Yelloly traveled back to Europe to participate in last weekend’s 24 Hours of Spa (BEL), where they, along with Marco Wittmann (GER), secured BMW’s 25th overall win in the ROWE Racing BMW M4 GT3. It was Yelloly’s second major victory in under a week.

Reflecting on the victory at Watkins Glen, BMW M Team RLL Team Principal Bobby Rahal expressed his satisfaction with the pace of the BMW M Hybrid V8 throughout the race. He extended his gratitude to everyone involved in the new-era GTP program, highlighting the hard work and dedication put in by both sides of the Atlantic since the project’s inception in July of last year. Rahal recognized the team’s commitment, stating that they received the cars in September, began testing in October, and already secured a win just five races into the season.

The team’s victory at Watkins Glen marked their 23rd win and 99th podium finish since 2009. This milestone has given the team an extra incentive to achieve podium number 100 at Mosport. The team has previously achieved one victory (2017) and three runner-up finishes (2015, 2017, and 2019) at Mosport while racing in the GT category prior to this season.

In the GT Daytona class, three BMW M4 GT3s will be competing. Bryan Sellers and Madison Snow (both USA) continue to lead the GTD class points with the #1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3. The pair has already secured wins at Sebring and Long Beach, as well as a hard-earned second-place finish at Watkins Glen after recovering from a three-lap deficit. Turner Motorsport will field two BMW M4 GT3s driven by Robby Foley and Patrick Gallagher (both USA), and Bill Auberlen and Chandler Hull (both USA).

The race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park is scheduled for Sunday, July 9th, and will last two hours and forty minutes, starting at 12:05 local time (18:05 CEST).

Quotes ahead of the race in Mosport:

Connor De Phillippi (#25 BMW M Hybrid V8): “Mosport is one of the most challenging and demanding tracks on our calendar. We have gained good momentum after Watkins Glen, and we will continue striving for further improvements throughout the weekend. I am extremely excited to drive this track for the first time in a prototype!”

Nick Yelloly (#25 BMW M Hybrid V8): “We will definitely try to keep our momentum going after a strong race at Watkins Glen. Mosport is a circuit that only Connor has prior experience on, so it will be a challenge for the three of us. Based on what I can tell, if the car performed well at Watkins Glen, it should be well-suited for Mosport. I am looking forward to experiencing what seems to be a very thrilling circuit.”

Philipp Eng (#24 BMW M Hybrid V8): “This weekend will be my first time in Canada and at Mosport. We have prepared extensively on the simulator after Watkins Glen. The track is fast and relatively short, so we should have ample opportunity to complete numerous laps during practice and get the #24 car up to speed. The win at Watkins Glen was crucial for the entire GTP project, so we will work hard to maintain that momentum.”

Augusto Farfus (#24 BMW M Hybrid V8): “Mosport is one of those fast, old-school circuits. I have never been there before, but I am a fan of such tracks that emphasize speed. Philipp and I will need to adapt quickly to get our car dialed in. Considering the success of the #25 car at Watkins Glen and the team’s acquired knowledge, perhaps we can secure two podium finishes for BMW at Mosport.”

BMW

UPDATE: BMW M Hybrid V8 celebrates historic first victory at IMSA race in Watkins Glen.

Watkins Glen. The BMW M Team RLL has secured the win in the 6-hour race of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at Watkins Glen in the USA. Connor De Phillippi and Nick Yelloly finished in second place but were later awarded first place due to a technical violation by the first-place Porsche. This marks the first-ever victory for the BMW M Hybrid V8, with the last BMW prototype win in North America dating back to 1999 at Sebring with the BMW V12 LMR.

Reactions to the victory:

Andreas Roos (Head of BMW M Motorsport): “Wow! This is a historic day for BMW M Motorsport and a significant milestone for our LMDh project. Congratulations and thank you to everyone involved in this program. While we would have preferred to win on the track, this success is a well-deserved reward for the hard work put in by our team. I’m particularly proud of our consistent strong performance throughout the weekend, setting the top times and earning our first victory in the GTP class.”

Nick Yelloly (#25 BMW M Hybrid V8, 1st place): “I’m incredibly happy for the team. They have worked hard and truly earned this victory. We have been steadily improving, and although winning on the track is our preference, we gratefully accept this victory. It’s not only the first win for the BMW M Hybrid V8 but also my first in the IMSA series, making it even more special for all of us.”

Note to the editors:

Please refer to the initial version of the press release for further race details and Augusto Farfus’ response to his accident.

BMW

Second Place Finish for BMW M Hybrid V8 in Dramatic IMSA Race at Watkins Glen

The BMW M Team RLL came close to securing their first victory with the BMW M Hybrid V8 at the 6-hour race of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in Watkins Glen, USA. However, in a thrilling final phase, Connor De Phillippi, who was leading the race, lost time while lapping and had to settle for second place, behind the Porsche #6. Nonetheless, it was still a fantastic result for the #25 BMW M Hybrid V8, driven by De Phillippi and Nick Yelloly. The LMDh prototype demonstrated its potential to win the race on its own merits. In the GTD class, Paul Miller Racing secured a podium finish with the BMW M4 GT3 after a remarkable comeback.

In the GTP class, the two BMW M Hybrid V8 cars started the race from fifth and seventh positions due to the cancellation of qualifying caused by heavy rain. Unfortunately, in the very first turn, Augusto Farfus lost control of the #24 BMW M Hybrid V8 and crashed into the barriers, resulting in significant damage that prevented the car from being repaired during the race. Farfus and his teammate Philipp Eng were forced to retire early.

During the first hour of the race, De Phillippi collided with a spinning Cadillac, damaging the front of the #25 BMW M Hybrid V8, which had to be replaced. However, De Phillippi and Yelloly managed to fight their way back from the back of the GTP field with a strong pace and took the lead in the final hour of the race. Only in the last few minutes, as they encountered heavy traffic with lapped cars, did De Phillippi’s lead diminish. With just five minutes to go, he conceded to the charging Porsche. Despite missing out on victory, the #25 BMW M Hybrid V8 crew achieved their third podium finish of the season.

In the GTD class, Paul Miller Racing made an impressive comeback. After facing early technical issues with the #1 BMW M4 GT3, drivers Madison Snow, Bryan Sellers, and Corey Lewis fell three laps behind. However, they strategically utilized the yellow flag periods to make up the deficit and eventually finished in second place on the podium. In the GTD-PRO class, Bill Auberlen, Chandler Hull, and John Edwards were involved in a rollover incident five minutes before the end of the race. Luckily, Auberlen emerged uninjured. The incident led to a final yellow flag period that determined the outcome of the race. In the GTD class, the #96 BMW M4 GT3 driven by Robby Foley, Patrick Gallagher, and Michael Dinan finished in 13th place.

Andreas Roos, Head of BMW M Motorsport, expressed his excitement about the battle for the lead and congratulated the #25 BMW M Hybrid V8 team on their fantastic podium finish. Brandon Fry, Vice President of IMSA Operations and Technical Director BMW M Team RLL, noted that the team showed great potential to fight for wins and podium finishes this season with the BMW M Hybrid V8. Connor De Phillippi, who finished in second place, expressed his frustration at losing the victory so close to the finish but remained optimistic about the team’s progress and future success. Nick Yelloly, also finishing in second place, was pleased with the podium result and believed it boded well for the rest of the season. Augusto Farfus took responsibility for the accident and apologized to his teammate and the team.