BMW Selects Van der Linde, Wittmann for Florida Enduros

Sheldon van der Linde and Marco Wittmann will drive the BMW M Hybrid V8 in the opening two rounds of next year’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season.

The BMW M Motorsport factory drivers have been confirmed as additional drivers for the German manufacturer’s GTP-class entries at the Rolex 24 at Daytona and the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.

Both drivers are set for their prototype racing debuts in BMW’s new LMDh car, having represented the Munich-based marque extensively in GT racing and the DTM.

BMW has not announced which of the Team RLL factory crews each driver will slot into.

Two weeks ago it was confirmed that Connor De Phillippi and Nick Yelloly will share the No. 24 BMW M Hybrid V8 on a full-time basis, while Philipp Eng and Augusto Farfus will co-drive the sister No. 25 machine.

Furthermore, NTT IndyCar Series star Colton Herta was named as one of the extra drivers for Daytona.

The arrivals of van der Linde and Wittmann establish a seven-man BMW crew for the Rolex 24 in January, leaving one more seat available for the season-opening enduro.

Four-driver lineups are possible at Daytona, with teams mandated a maximum of three drivers per car for the Twelve Hours of Sebring in March.

“Racing in America is always very special,” said van der Linde, who leads the DTM points standings heading into this weekend’s title decider.

“I am proud to be part of the LMDh program next year.

“Daytona is a fantastic race with an incredible history. I am looking forward to appearing there for BMW M Team RLL for the second time in a row.

“The fact that we will be aiming for overall victory this time makes the events at Daytona and Sebring all the more exciting.”

Van der Linde and Wittmann shared an RLL-operated BMW M4 GT3 at Daytona this year.

Wittmann also competed in the GTD Pro class at Sebring where he finished fourth in class alongside Farfus and Yelloly.

Both of BMW’s new signings for the Florida endurance events have been involved in the manufacturer’s LMDh pre-homologation testing program.

Van der Linde was present for the Dallara-based prototype’s first rollout in July. Wittmann most recently turned laps at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta earlier this week.

“I am really looking forward to racing in the IMSA series again next season, and to being involved in classics like the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring,” said Wittmann.

“I have done a few days of testing in the BMW M Hybrid V8 and am thrilled to be part of a project like this. The car has a lot of downforce, a lot of power, no driver aids like ABS – a real prototype. It will be cool to support the four regular IMSA drivers.”