Vincent Vosse hopes to place a BMW Hypercar in the Hyperpole
Author of the sixth fastest time during the test day with car number 20, BMW believes that the level was acceptable. But Vincent Vosse, the team principal, thinks that not everyone has shown their full potential. However, he remains optimistic for qualifying (7 pm). Also competing in LMGT3, the WRT team has much higher expectations thanks to their knowledge of the M4.
The 2024 season marks BMW’s return to Le Mans. The German brand has entered two cars for the double lap of the Le Mans clock. The first run on the Sarthe track, during the test day, with the Hypercar, was rather mixed.
Car number 15 fell victim to an engine issue. It was changed for safety reasons and sent to Munich for analysis. The sister car drove more and finished with the sixth best time (3’28”072). A satisfactory performance for Vincent Vosse, the team principal.
The Belgian remains wary of the hidden performances of the opponents. According to him, Porsche and its fleet of six Hypercars would place BMW at best in seventh place. Cadillac has not shown everything and we must not forget Toyota.
With such competition, the German brand could have a hard time making it to Hyperpole. But Vincent Vosse prefers to stay positive. “I think there will be one.” During the first free practice session, BMW showed that the pace was there. And that the car could go very fast. Car number 15 finished in third place with a time of 3’26”671. That is a mark six tenths off Toyota number 8.
Also read: 24 Hours of Le Mans – Free Practice 1: Toyota responds to Porsche
BMW is also involved in LMGT3. Two M4s will represent the brand through the WRT team. With these two cars, the manufacturer has much higher expectations. « There is less uncertainty with the car, it has been around for three years. It has won 24-hour races. »
Regarding WRT’s knowledge of its M4, in Le Mans, it is running on Goodyear tires instead of Michelin. A parameter that completely changes the behavior of the car. It changes the feeling, the settings, the ride height. It’s completely different. Depending on how you attack a kerb, it’s not the same.
The whole team will keep an eye on the weather, which looks uncertain this week. So far, rain has spared Sarthe, but it could show up towards the end of the week. While WRT has always been good at managing changing conditions, a mistake can happen quickly. Check out Ferrari in Canada (in F1, Editor’s note) and at Imola (in WEC).
