The year hasn’t finished yet, but the 2026 season has already started for BMW M Team WRT. The Belgian squad is actively preparing for a busy season, which will see its debut in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IMSA), thus embarking on a double Hypercar/GTP racing program with the BMW M Hybrid V8. The updated version of the car recently performed its first test in Daytona. Today, BMW M Team WRT announced its driver line-ups for both the IMSA and FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC), characterised by stability and continuity.
IMSA
In America, car #24 will be entrusted to Sheldon van der Linde and Dries Vanthoor in the sprint races. They will be joined by Robin Frijns in the endurance races, and René Rast will complete the quartet entered in the season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona.
Car #25 will be in the hands of Philipp Eng and Marco Wittmann in the sprint races. Kevin Magnussen will join them in the endurance races, and Raffaele Marciello will be the fourth ace at Daytona.
All drivers are well-known faces in the BMW M family, and both the core driver duos contested IMSA last year with the BMW M Hybrid V8.
BMW M Team WRT is currently finalising its new American operation, based in Kannapolis, NC, which will have over 40 staff members.
FIA WEC
BMW M Team WRT is ready for a third consecutive campaign in the FIA WEC with the BMW M Hybrid V8, which will be run out of the team’s new Belgian headquarters, in Bierset.
The line-ups for the Hypercar programme are unchanged: Kevin Magnussen, Raffaele Marciello and Dries Vanthoor will be at the wheel of car #15, and car #20 will be entrusted to Robin Frijns, René Rast and Sheldon van der Linde.
FIA WEC LMGT3
The driver line-ups for the BMW M4 LMGT3 EVOs competing in the LMGT3 class of the FIA WEC will be announced in due course, but the two Bronze drivers are already named. Britain’s Darren Leung, who is a former Bronze champion in the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup and already competed for BMW M Team WRT in the FIA WEC in 2024, is back with the squad, while American Anthony McIntosh, a double Am Champion in the Lamborghini SuperTrofeo North America and a former Am champion in the Italian GT Sprint championship, will be making his debut with the team.
Vincent VOSSE, Team Principal BMW M Team WRT: « We are delighted to announce our IMSA and WEC drivers, and to see such great stability in the line-ups. This establishment tells a lot and is a valuable asset as we continue growing towards our objectives. In the WEC, we continue with the same trios. In IMSA, for what will be our first season and the great challenge of our 2026 season, there is a little reshuffling, although the drivers are the same. I am also very happy to unveil the first bit of our LMGT3 line-ups for the WEC. It’s a great pleasure to have Darren back with us, and we are happy to welcome such an enthusiastic recruit as Anthony. I am sure that with this pool of drivers, and the ones still to be named, we can aim for great results. »
Luna de Wilde,