A difficult comeback for BMW at the 24 Hours of Le Mans
Of the four cars entered - two GT3s and two Hypercars - by BMW, only one was classified. The other three were involved in accidents or suffered mechanical problems.
Le Mans can be cruel. BMW can tell you about it. The German brand went through all the emotions during this 92nd edition of the 24 Hours. First at the end of qualifying, the #15 Hypercar suffered a major setback by causing a red flag during the hyperpole. Immediate sanction and start from sixth place (Porsche #12 did not participate in the hyperpole and Cadillac #2 was penalized five places) when there was potential for much better.
During the race, some piloting errors cost the WRT team a lot, which was racing with the BMWs. The magnificent #20 car crashed into the wall at the chicane du raccordement. Once back in the pits, the car of the Rast – Van der Linde – Frijns trio remained there for a long time. It only went back on track for the last lap of the race. It finished the race in 17th place, at 215 laps behind the Ferrari #50.
To read also: Our live coverage of the 24 Hours of Le Mans
Still in Hypercar, car #15 had a very good pace, but finished its race right in the middle of the night. While it was one lap behind the leading Ferrari #83, it crashed into it. Dries Vanthoor, who was behind the wheel, couldn’t do anything. The car hit the barrier, first on the right then on the left. The damages were too significant. Robert Kubica’s maneuver sparked a lot of discussion. According to our sources, the Polish driver’s move was intentional. The race direction only penalized him with a thirty-second stop and go. Not sufficient according to many observers.
We are obviously very disappointed with the result and to see our race end in such a big accident. Fortunately, Dries came out of it without any injury, that’s the most important thing. Seeing what happened to our sister car, we can say that luck was not on our side, and it hurts, but now we have to focus on the rest of the championship, learn from the negative and turn it into a positive, and come back stronger. We have made huge progress since Qatar, as shown by our pace here, we can be proud of that and we must keep up the momentum, says Marco Wittman of #15.
The delicate conditions of the night
In the GT3 class, Valentino Rossi’s #46 car also did not make it to the finish. Shortly before one in the morning, Ahmad Al-Harthy lost control of the M4 after the Dunlop bridge. He went into the gravel and hit the tires. The impact, although not very violent, caused significant damage. The radiator was pierced. All the water escaped. The trio threw in the towel. This car had a very good pace as it led its category for a long time.
« In the first part of the race, we were very competitive, have been able to recover many positions thanks to a good strategy and a consistent pace. We led the race for 2 to 3 hours and I really enjoyed it. Unfortunately, the conditions deteriorated and Ahmad, on slicks on a wet track, made a mistake and we had to retire. It’s really a shame », Valentino Rossi regrets.
The only BMW to have completed the 24 Hours without any issues is the other GT3, the #31. In the morning, the car found itself in the leading trio and fought extensively with its opponents – cleanly this time. Eventually, it found itself in second place. A position it held until the finish.
