Watkins Glen. The BMW M Team RLL had a firm grip on a historic
first victory for the BMW M Hybrid V8 at the 6-hour race of the IMSA
WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IMSA series) in Watkins Glen
(USA). However, in a dramatic final phase, Connor De Phillippi
(USA), leading the race, lost significant time while lapping and had
to settle for second place in the last few laps, conceding to the #6
Porsche. Nevertheless, a fantastic result was achieved with the #25
BMW M Hybrid V8, shared by De Phillippi and Nick Yelloly (GBR). The
strong pace of the LMDh prototype was particularly noteworthy,
showcasing its potential to win the race on its own merits. In the
GTD class, Paul Miller Racing secured a podium finish with the #1
BMW M4 GT3 after a spectacular comeback.
In the GTP class, the two BMW M Hybrid V8 cars started the race from
fifth and seventh positions after qualifying was canceled due to heavy
rain on Saturday. In the very first turn, Augusto Farfus (BRA) in the
#24 BMW M Hybrid V8 caused a moment of shock as he lost control of the
car while accelerating on apparently still cold tyres and crashed into
the barriers. The vehicle suffered significant damage, preventing it
from being repaired during the race. This marked an early retirement
for Farfus and his teammate Philipp Eng (AUT).
During the first hour of the race, De Phillippi collided with a
spinning Cadillac directly in front of him, damaging the front of the
#25 BMW M Hybrid V8, which had to be replaced. However, he and Yelloly
fought back from the back of the GTP field with a strong pace and
found themselves in the lead during the final hour of the race. Only
in the last minutes, as traffic became heavy with lapped cars, did De
Phillippi’s lead of approximately seven seconds diminish. Five minutes
before the end of the race, he conceded to the charging Porsche.
Although victory was not achieved, the #25 BMW M Hybrid V8 crew
secured their third podium finish of the season.
In the GTD class, Paul Miller Racing showcased an impressive
comeback. After facing early technical issues with the #1 BMW M4 GT3,
drivers Madison Snow, Bryan Sellers, and Corey Lewis (all USA) had
already fallen three laps behind. However, through strategic
utilization of the yellow flag periods, they managed to make up the
deficit and ultimately finished in second place, celebrating on the
podium. Bill Auberlen (USA), who shared the #95 BMW M4 GT3 in the
GTD-PRO class with Chandler Hull and BMW M works driver John Edwards
(both USA), emerged uninjured from a spectacular rollover incident
that occurred five minutes before the end of the race, leading to the
final yellow flag period that determined the outcome of the race. In
the sister car with the number 96, Robby Foley, Patrick Gallagher, and
Michael Dinan (all USA) finished in 13th place in the GTD class.
Quotes after the race:
Andreas Roos (Head of BMW M Motorsport): “What an
exciting battle for the lead until the final lap! Although we narrowly
missed out on our first victory with the BMW M Hybrid V8, the podium
finish for the #25 BMW M Hybrid V8 here in Watkins Glen is a fantastic
result. Congratulations to the two drivers, the team, and our
colleagues at BMW M Motorsport! I am particularly pleased that our
pace was very strong throughout the entire weekend, and we set the top
times. We had the speed to win this race. We continue to improve from
race to race and are getting closer to our first triumph in the GTP
class. It’s a pity that car number 24 retired so early in the race.
Warming up the tyres was difficult throughout the weekend under the
conditions. Right after the start, the grip wasn’t there yet, and
Augusto lost control of the car. In such a fiercely contested race
with strong competition, mistakes like this can happen, and there is
no blame. Congratulations also to Paul Miller Racing for their podium
finish in the GTD class with the BMW M4 GT3!”
Brandon Fry (Vice President of IMSA Operations and Technical
Director BMW M Team RLL): “For much of the race we had a
really strong car. Unfortunately right at the end the Porsche was just
a little bit faster. But in general we have shown here that we are
capable of fighting for wins and podiums in this season with the BMW M
Hybrid V8.”
Connor De Phillippi (#25 BMW M Hybrid V8, 2nd place):
“It’s frustrating to lose the victory so close to the finish.
If someone had offered us second place after the first hour with the
collision and the front-end change, we would have been happy. But when
you put yourself in such a good position and are comfortably in the
lead, the outcome is very disappointing. Ultimately, I lost my entire
cushion to the Porsche in just two laps while lapping the LMP cars.
That’s IMSA racing. The pursuer always has a slight advantage when
lapping. Nevertheless, the team did a great job, we are developing the
car in the right direction, and the first victory will surely come.”
Nick Yelloly (#25 BMW M Hybrid V8, 2nd place): “A
podium is always a reason to be happy, even though you naturally want
to win when you’re so close like we were today. We were up there in
terms of speed throughout the whole weekend and led many laps in the
race. That’s good news for the rest of the season.”
Augusto Farfus (#24 BMW M Hybrid V8, DNF): “First of
all, congratulations to Connor, Nick, Team RLL, and BMW M Motorsport
for the podium! It’s a shame we didn’t quite get the victory! The
accident with car number 24 is my fault, and I apologize to my
teammate Philipp and the team. We knew that with the relatively low
track temperatures this weekend, it would be very difficult to get the
tyres in the right operating window. But I believed I had done
everything in the warm-up lap to have optimal grip at the start.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case, and I lost control of the car
during acceleration. That was ultimately my mistake.”
