Watkins Glen.
The BMW M Team RLL has been awarded the victory in the 6-hour
race of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IMSA series) at
Watkins Glen (USA). Connor De Phillippi (USA) and Nick Yelloly (GBR)
crossed the finish line in second place after a dramatic final
phase, but a post-race penalty for the first-place Porsche due to a
technical violation granted the historic first win for the BMW M
Hybrid V8. The last time a BMW prototype won a race in North America
was in 1999 at Sebring (USA) with the BMW V12 LMR.
Reactions to the post-race victory:
Andreas Roos (Head of BMW M Motorsport): “Wow! The
first victory for the BMW M Hybrid V8 – a historic day for BMW M
Motorsport and a significant milestone for our LMDh project!
Congratulations and thank you to everyone at BMW M Motorsport in
Munich, the BMW M Team RLL, and drivers Connor De Phillippi and Nick
Yelloly! While we would have preferred to win on the track, this
success is the result of long, hard work and the well-deserved reward
for the fantastic performances of everyone involved in this programme.
I am particularly delighted that our pace was consistently strong
throughout the weekend, and we set the top times. We have been
improving from race to race, and we have earned our first victory in
the GTP class. I am incredibly proud of our entire crew!”
Nick Yelloly (#25 BMW M Hybrid V8, 1st place): “I am
incredibly happy for the entire team, who have more than earned this
victory through their hard work. We have been steadily improving, and
the first win was within reach. It wasn’t the way we wanted to win, as
we prefer to win on the track and celebrate on the podium. However, we
gladly accept the victory nonetheless – after all, it is the first for
the BMW M Hybrid V8 and also my first in the IMSA series. Therefore,
it holds a special significance for all of us.”
Note to the editors:
Please refer to the initial version of the press release for the
remaining race details and Augusto Farfus’ response to his accident.
