WRT Completes Successful First Test With BMW M Hybrid V8
BMW M Team WRT completed a successful rollout of its first FIA WEC Hypercar-bound M Hybrid V8 last week in Spain at Motorland Aragon.
The Belgian team, which will run BMW’s works FIA WEC Hypercar effort next season, tested with six factory drivers at the Spanish circuit. The test followed a rollout of the car at the end of May at the BMW Group plant in Dingolfing. There, Nick Yelloly shook the car down.
“It is a big step and a step that we all have worked very hard for,” said BMW M Team WRT boss Vincent Vosse. “It is a milestone for the team. Being at Le Mans has always been a goal for the team but being at Le Mans representing a manufacturer like BMW in the top category is a dream come true. And I have the feeling that we have the best manufacturer behind us. And the best group of people – the team.
“The guys did an excellent job building and preparing the car. The rollout went well and then we had the days of testing without any issues and good feedback. It has been an important first step in the preparation for the 2024 season so I am looking forward to it and I want to say a big thank you to all the guys who are involved in this.”
At Motorland, WRT ran the car for three days with Jesse Krohn, Maxime Martin, Sheldon van der Linde, Dries Vanthoor, Dan Harper and Max Hesse all sharing the wheel.
The car was reported to have run flawlessly, allowing the team to collect valuable early data. The pictures released from the test showed the car running in both day and night and in both wet and dry conditions.
“The test was an incredible experience for me,” said Krohn. “It was my first outing in a prototype and also the first collaboration with the WRT team. I had high expectations of their working methods because, as an opponent, I have experienced their strength over the years. And I must say that all my expectations were met. The team works together fantastically, and I had perhaps the smoothest test of my career.
“I quickly found my way in the car and hopefully, I was able to help the team gather important data because that’s what it’s all about in such a first test. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience in this great car and I thank everyone involved for allowing me to contribute to the programme.”
The run in Spain was the first of multiple tests planned for WRT ahead of the 2024 FIA WEC season opener in Qatar next March. Over the course of the test programme, BMW plans to test “as many BMW M works drivers as possible” with WRT.
“The past week was a very good start to our WEC preparation programme,” commented Andreas Roos, the head of BMW M Motorsport.
“The BMW M Hybrid V8 ran smoothly during the first test drives and provided our engineers and the team with the opportunity to gain a wealth of insights right from the start. Many thanks to everyone at BMW M Motorsport in Munich and BMW M Team WRT for making this successful start possible.
“Of course, the experiences we have gathered together with BMW M Team RLL in the IMSA series races have also contributed to this. At the beginning of the LMDh programme, we deliberately chose to compete exclusively in the IMSA series first and later in the FIA WEC. We are now benefiting from this approach. Although the start was successful, there is still a lot of work to be done on the way to the first races.
“We are all highly motivated for the work throughout the rest of the year.”
News of this test comes just a day after the M Hybrid V8 scored its first win globally in the six-hour IMSA race at Watkins Glen.
Images courtesy of BMW
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