The Belgian squad had the best possible start to their 2025 racing season, with victories in the Middle East enduros, the 24 Hours of Dubai and the 6 Hours of Abu Dhabi, and at the Intercontinental GT Challenge’s Bathurst 12 Hour. They also scored an LMGT3 podium at the World Endurance Championship’s first round in Qatar last week. It is now time for the European season to get underway, with the two-day Prologue of the GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS taking place this coming Monday and Tuesday at the Circuit Paul Ricard. Team WRT will enter three BMW M4 GT3 EVOs in the top continental series, with driver line-ups being revealed today.
In the Pro class, car #32 will be entrusted in the Sprint Cup to three-time Sprint Cup champion Charles Weerts and 2025 Bathurst 12 Hour winner Kelvin van der Linde, who need no further presentation. For the Endurance Cup races, they will be joined by Belgium’s young gun Ugo de Wilde (22), recently announced as BMW M Works driver.
In the Gold class, a BMW M4 GT3 EVO sporting #777 will be entered under the colours of AlManar Racing by WRT for Al Faisal Al Zubair and Germany’s Jens Klingmann. The 26-year-old Omani made a successful debut with the team at the 24 Hours of Dubai earlier this year and is already an established driver in international GT3 racing, with race wins in the International GT Open and the Asian Le Mans Series. Klingmann, one of the heroes of the sensational win in Monza last year, will be embarking on his second full season with Team WRT. In the Endurance Cup races, the pair will be joined by another GT3 young star, Briton Ben Tuck, who was also part of the winning quartet in Dubai in January.
Competing in the Silver class will be car #30, with three newcomers at the wheel. Gustav Bergström (21) and Gilles Stadsbader (20) will be contesting the Sprint Cup. The Swede has formed himself in Porsche mono-brand trophies and was a race winner in the GT Open last year, while the Belgian has previous GT World Europe experience. In the Endurance Cup races, they will be associated with France’s Etienne Cheli (24), who joins from the French and European GT4 series.
Vincent VOSSE, Team Principal Team WRT: « We have been present in SRO’s top European series since its inception and the creation of our team back in 2011, and we continue to do so with great enthusiasm and pleasure. We have also enjoyed immense success in this series, last year adding four more titles and the ‘Pit Stop Challenge’ to an already long list of trophies. We are determined to continue on this path, although the challenge is greater every year, given that the level of competition of the series keeps growing every time. Having made tremendous progress with the BMW M4 GT3 and having in place perfect cooperation with BMW M Motorsport gives us a lot of confidence. For 2025, our driver line-ups have undergone significant changes, as we have rationalised our resources according to the different programmes we are involved in, but I am happy to announce line-ups that will be very strong in their respective classes, and proud once again, to give our trust to some of the most talented young drivers around. »
Luna de Wilde,