BMW M Staff RLL has ended its lengthy profitable drought with an distinctive week on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Simply days after the BMW M Hybrid V8 secured its first podium end within the FIA World Endurance Championship, the LMDh automobile triumphed with a formidable 1-2 end within the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
Through the 6-hour race at Indianapolis (USA), Philipp Eng (AUT) and Jesse Krohn (FIN) within the #24 BMW M Hybrid V8 edged out their teammates Connor De Phillippi (USA) and Nick Yelloly (GBR). This marked their inaugural 1-2 end since becoming a member of the GTP class and their first victory of the present season.
At their dwelling occasion, near firm headquarters, BMW M Staff RLL reached a major milestone following a troublesome season. The group navigated difficult circumstances on the “Battle on the Bricks,” which started with rain and transitioned to a drying monitor. They maintained flawless efficiency and made strategic selections that paid off. Notably, the #24 group was the primary to change to slicks among the many high contenders, positioning themselves forward. Within the remaining laps, each BMW M Hybrid V8s fended off rivals amidst dense visitors, guaranteeing that victory belonged to them. Eng and Krohn not solely celebrated their maiden win but in addition their first podium end within the IMSA collection’ high class. Beforehand, De Phillippi and Yelloly had secured the one different GTP class win through the 2023 season at Watkins Glen (USA).
Within the GTD class, Turner Motorsport earned one other podium with Robby Foley, Patrick Gallagher, and Jake Walker (all USA) driving the #96 BMW M4 GT3 to second place. Within the GTD PRO class, Madison Snow, Bryan Sellers, and Neil Verhagen (all USA) within the #1 BMW M4 GT3 from Paul Miller Racing completed in eighth place.
Andreas Roos (Head of BMW M Motorsport): “This has been an extremely profitable week for our LMDh programme with the primary podium within the FIA WEC and the primary one-two end within the IMSA collection. Congratulations to BMW M Staff RLL, which, regardless of the troublesome season to date, has continued to push along with our BMW M Motorsport engineers, making this nice success doable. I’m very happy that we’ve got now managed to transform the potential that our BMW M Hybrid V8 has proven regularly this season into corresponding high outcomes twice in a row. That is the deserved reward and an incredible motivation for everybody concerned in our LMDh undertaking. Congratulations additionally to Turner Motorsport for one more podium within the GTD class, the place the group is having an impressive season with the BMW M4 GT3.”
Bobby Rahal (Staff Principal BMW M Staff RLL): “It is a nice day for us. I’m completely satisfied for everybody on our group, however much more for our joint undertaking with BMW M Motorsport. We’ve had good and unhealthy days this season, saved combating, and by no means gave up. Now we’ve got rewarded ourselves with this one-two end result – proper right here, on the most effective racetracks on the planet. I’m extremely completely satisfied.”
Philipp Eng (#24 BMW M Hybrid V8, 1st place): “I’m virtually speechless. I’m extraordinarily completely satisfied for everybody at BMW M Motorsport and BMW M Staff RLL. Everybody has greater than earned this success. For me personally, this win may be very emotional as a result of I’ve skilled laborious occasions right here in North America when the hoped-for outcomes simply didn’t come. At the moment was our day. Now it’s time to have fun.”
Jesse Krohn (#24 BMW M Hybrid V8, 1st place): “That is my eleventh 12 months with BMW M Motorsport, and now I stand right here, at one of the legendary locations in motorsport, having received a race within the high class. That’s unbelievable. I’m very grateful for the journey I’ve been allowed to take all this time. I’ve now received in each race automobile that BMW M Motorsport has put me in.”
Nick Yelloly (#25 BMW M Hybrid V8, 2nd place): “What a incredible group end result! I’m extremely completely satisfied for the group, which after a great season in 2023 with a win and 5 podiums needed to undergo laborious occasions this 12 months. To have the ability to reward them with this one-two result’s nice. I’m additionally completely satisfied for Philipp and Jesse, who actually deserved their first win.”
Connor De Phillippi (#25 BMW M Hybrid V8, 2nd place): “An outstanding weekend for your entire group. All of us did an incredible job collectively, and everybody contributed their half to this success. The primary one-two for the BMW M Hybrid V8 is incredible, regardless that I might have appreciated a distinct order, after all. However so long as certainly one of our automobiles is on the very entrance, all the pieces is nice!”