ROWE Racing finishes 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers on the podium – Three BMW M4 GT3s in the top six

The BMW M Motorsport teams ROWE Racing and RMG successfully completed the most important race weekend on the Nordschleife before the 24 Hours of Nürburgring (GER). During the 24h Qualifiers, all three BMW M4 GT3s completed many laps and collected valuable data. In addition, there was racing success in the 4-hour race on Sunday. Raffaele Marciello (SUI), Maxime Martin (BEL), and Marco Wittmann (GER) drove the #98 ROWE Racing car to a second-place finish on the podium. The sister #99 car and the BMW M Team RMV #72 BMW M4 GT3 finished in fourth and sixth places, respectively.

The 24h Qualifiers consisted of two races, each four hours long. On Saturday, the BMW M Motorsport teams focused on set-up work. Dan Harper (GBR), Max Hesse (GER), and Charles Weerts (BEL) were the highest-placed crew as tenth in the #72 BMW M4 GT3. Augusto Farfus (BRA), Sheldon van der Linde (RSA), and Dries Vanthoor (BEL) finished twelfth in the ROWE Racing car #99. The #98 BMW M4 GT3 retired after an unavoidable collision but made up for it with the podium finish on Sunday. The race weekend was particularly valuable for Weerts and Marciello, as both completed their first races in the BMW M4 GT3 on the Nordschleife and were able to complete many laps. Marciello also celebrated his first podium as a BMW M works driver.

At the 24h Qualifiers – also rounds three and four of the Nürburgring Endurance Series NLS – numerous other categories were present alongside the GT3 cars. BMW M Motorsport teams achieved a total of nine class victories in the two races.

Reactions after the 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers:

Hans-Peter Naundorf (Team Principal ROWE Racing): “Our team and our drivers did a very good job this weekend. Despite the unprovoked retirement in the race on Saturday, we covered many kilometres and gained valuable insights about the new tyres. Our drivers were able to get used to the Nordschleife and the tuning again. We have already got into a good groove with Raffaele Marciello. Thanks to the good work of the team and some lucky circumstances, we were rewarded with a podium on Sunday, the second within eight days after our victory in the GT World Challenge Europe. It’s a nice reward for the intensive work in the past weeks.”

Stefan Reinhold (Team Principal BMW M Team RMG): “Overall, it was a good test run for the 24-hour race. On Saturday, we still had some things to sort out with the set-up and couldn’t keep up with the lead. Things went better on Sunday, although we had a slight collision in the first corner of the race and had to repair the car during the first stop. Charles Weerts has integrated very well into our team and was able to complete many valuable laps this weekend.”

Raffaele Marciello (#98 BMW M4 GT3, ROWE Racing): “We can be very happy with the podium today. Our pace was good, and we had a good strategy. The main goal this weekend was to prepare ourselves as well as possible for the 24-hour race because that’s where it really counts. Of course, you can never be one hundred percent perfectly prepared for such a special race, but I think we are in a good position.”

Sheldon van der Linde (#99 BMW M4 GT3, ROWE Racing): “Fourth place is a good result to end the weekend. We may not have had the fastest car, but our pit stops were great and ultimately got us to this position. Of course, the preparation for the 24-hour race was the main focus, and we ticked all the boxes on our list. That also applies to me personally. It was my first time this season on the Nordschleife, and I was able to complete many laps which helped me a lot. I feel very well prepared.”

Charles Weerts (#72 BMW M4 GT3, BMW M Team RMG): “It was a good weekend for us, where we could finish both races without major problems. As a team, we are still finding the perfect tuning for the new tyres. That worked out much better on Sunday than on Saturday. Personally, I learn something new with every single lap on the Nordschleife and am gathering many valuable experiences. Things are already going quite well, but I can certainly continue to improve.”