Daytona. At the season opener of the IMSA WeatherTech
SportsCar Championship (IMSA series), the Daytona 24 Hours (USA),
the BMW M Team RLL missed the hoped-for podium finishes with the BMW
M Hybrid V8. Although the two LMDh cars were able to keep up with
the speed of their competitors and stay in the leading group of the
GTP category until into the night, technical problems then set both
prototypes back. Paul Miller Racing had reason to celebrate. The
North American BMW M Motorsport team finished third on the podium in
the GTD PRO class
.
For the BMW M Team RLL, the second 24-hour race in Daytona with the
BMW M Hybrid V8 initially went according to plan. Both car #24 with
drivers Philipp Eng (AUT), Jesse Krohn (FIN), Augusto Farfus (BRA),
and Dries Vanthoor (BEL), as well as the sister car with Connor De
Phillippi (USA), Nick Yelloly (GBR), Maxime Martin (BEL), and René
Rast (GER), held strong speed and stayed in the leading group until
late at night. However, both crews then had bad luck with technical difficulties.
The #24 BMW M Hybrid V8 stopped on the track due to electronic
problems, but could have returned to the race quickly as only the
steering wheel needed to be replaced. Unfortunately, there was a
mishap with the recovery crew while towing the car back to the pit,
which cost additional time, Ultimately, the BMW M Team RLL lost 13
laps due to the unfortunate incident.
The #25 BMW M Hybrid V8, which had even been in the lead at one
point, suffered a leak in the gearbox cooler. Later on, a brake change
was necessary on the rear axle, which led to a total of 15 laps behind.
Paul Miller Racing showed an impressive comeback from twelfth place
in the GTD PRO category and even led the race for long stretches in
the #1 BMW M4 GT3. In the final hours of the race, however, the team
was unable to compete for the win due to a problem during a pit stop,
but it was enough for drivers Madison Snow, Bryan Sellers, Neil
Verhagen (all USA), and Sheldon van der Linde (RSA) to take third
place on the podium. In the GTD class, Turner Motorsport also had a
strong comeback, but Robby Foley, Patrick Gallagher, Jake Walker (all
USA), and Jens Klingmann (GER) fell far behind due to a mechanical
defect at the oil pump drive.
Reactions after the race:
Franciscus van Meel (CEO BMW M GmbH): “Luck was not
with the diligent. We were well prepared for the race beforehand and
started with a good feeling. Accordingly, we are now disappointed with
this result. But it is what it is. We have two more big races with the
BMW M Hybrid V8 in Qatar and Sebring in the next six weeks. Now it’s
about implementing everything we didn’t achieve here in Daytona and
coming out on top.”
Andreas Roos (Head of BMW M Motorsport): “Looking at
our results this weekend is, of course, very disappointing. But we
have shown that our BMW M Hybrid V8 could keep up with the competition
and even led at times. If you compare that to our debut a year ago, we
have made huge strides in the right direction in terms of performance.
Unfortunately, we had technical issues during the night with both
cars, which should not happen in such a race. We now have to analyze
these precisely to ensure that we are better prepared for the upcoming
races. It is also a shame that Paul Miller Racing with the BMW M4 GT3
had problems at the end and fell back to third place in the GTD PRO.”
Jesse Krohn (#24 BMW M Hybrid V8, 7th place): “I feel
for everyone on the team who worked so hard for this event. We
definitely deserved a better result. For me personally, it was a
fantastic experience. I had an incredible amount of fun in my first
race with the new car and learned a lot. I am convinced that we could
have achieved a very good result without our problems.”
Connor De Phillippi (#25 BMW M Hybrid V8, 8th place):
“That was not the race we wanted. Until the race, we had actually had
a positive week here in Daytona, but unfortunately, luck was not on
our side. You cannot afford technical problems like the ones we had in
such a race. We have to learn from that with a view to Sebring.”
Neil Verhagen (#1 BMW M4 GT3, Paul Miller Racing, 3rd place
GTD PRO): “My first 24-hour race in Daytona and my first
start in an IMSA race – that was a great experience. I was in the best
possible team, and we led the race for long stretches. Unfortunately,
some problems late in the race put the win out of reach. Nevertheless,
we still made it to the podium. We can be proud of that. Generally, a
podium in Daytona is, of course, a reason to be happy, but when you
were so close to the win, it hurts not to reach it in the end.”
Robby Foley (#96 BMW M4 GT3, Turner Motorsport, 14th place
GTD): “We actually drove a smart race all the time and always
stayed in touch with the top. We had a car that could have fought for
the win in the GTD class. Unfortunately, we had the technical problem
exactly at sunrise. The guys repaired it very quickly, but with 15
laps behind, we were, of course, out of the race for a top placement.
Now I’m looking forward to making up for it at the next race in Sebring.”
