BMW Returns to GT300 Grid With Pacific Racing

BMW will return to the SUPER GT grid this season after a one-year absence courtesy of a new tie-up with Pacific Racing, which switches from Mercedes-AMG.

Pacific revealed on Tuesday that it will trade the Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo it has campaigned since 2023 for a BMW M4 GT3 EVO equipped with Michelin tires, bringing the Bavarian marque back to the GT300 class for the first time since 2024.

It will mark the first outing in SUPER GT for the latest version of the M4, which last raced in pre-EVO spec with Team Studie (pictured top) before its withdrawal.

GT300 veteran Ryohei Sakaguchi, who was part of the Pacific lineup for all three seasons it ran a Mercedes-AMG, has stepped down from full-time driving duties and will instead serve as sporting director for the upcoming season.

Sakaguchi’s co-driver of the past two seasons, Yusuke Tomibayashi, will be joined aboard the No. 9 BMW by Yuta Fujiwara, who steps up from the third driver role.

Rintaro Kubo, who last raced in GT300 back in 2020 for Max Racing, has been appointed as third driver.

Tomibayashi said: “I’m happy to again be part of Pacific Racing Team this season and fight at the highest level.

“There’s no better package than the combination of the BMW M4 GT3 EVO we are introducing this season and the highly trustworthy Michelin tire to fight for the GT300 title. My role will be to bring out the potential of this machine more than anyone else, and to show overwhelming speed from qualifying until the race.

“I’ll give it my everything and go on the attack in every race in order to meet the expectations of all the fans as well as those of the team.”

Pacific’s switch from Yokohama to Michelin means that the French tire brand will have at least two cars on the grid for the final year of open tire competition, with the Pacific BMW joining the Shade Racing Lexus RC F GT3 in its stable.