BMW Drivers Enjoying “Different Environment” in LMP2 Pro-Am

BMW factory drivers Dries Vanthoor, Rene Rast and Maxime Martin are enjoying an “interesting” dynamic competing for different teams in the LMP2 Pro-Am class at this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans while also preparing for a potential role within the BMW M Hybrid V8 FIA World Endurance Championship program.

The three drivers, who regularly compete in BMW GT3 machinery in championships such as Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS and DTM, are each contesting the French endurance classic in Oreca 07 Gibsons.

Vanthoor signed on with the TF Sport-operated Racing Team Turkey entry, while Rast joins Ricky Taylor and Steven Thomas at Tower Motorsports and Martin forms part of an all-Belgian lineup at DKR Engineering.

“It’s definitely interesting,” Martin told Sportscar365. “In the end it’s good.

“I think it’s good for all of us to be in an LMP car here in Le Mans and it’s again more experience here, but I think every team is quite different from each other and we have to see what we can do.”

The Belgian said he enjoys the smaller scale of the Luxembourg-based DKR squad, which is competing in the event for the second consecutive year.

“To be fair it’s very nice, very easy going,” he said. “It’s a small structure so it’s a lot easier. It’s good also for me to bring my experience from Le Mans and my experience in general, so that’s good.

“Until now everything is going well. For sure we have to see where we are, but at the end we have two rookies in the team.

“It’s a full Belgian lineup, so at the end for us the main thing is to go to the end of the race.”

Vanthoor, a GTE-Am class winner with JMW Motorsport in 2017, is similarly entering a new setting at the TF Sport-run Racing Team Turkey squad.

He and Tom Gamble replace Charlie Eastwood and Louis Deletraz, who both have commitments elsewhere for the event.

“It’s a different team, different environment, different people, but at the end of the day, I’m still very happy to be here in Le Mans,” said the three-time GTWC Europe Sprint Cup champion.

“To be here at the 100th year anniversary, I must say, is a very special feeling for me.

“But in the end, for me it’s important to be here, even though it’s not with WRT, where I’ve actually been almost all my career.

“I must say I’m very impressed. I’ve never worked with them, I also really didn’t know them before I came here, but at the moment everything is running really well.

“The car is doing really well, the team is doing a very good job, they’re all very nice people. So yeah, it’s a very nice place to be at the moment.”

All three drivers confirmed that prior permission from BMW was required to be allowed to compete in the event.

Rast needed to go one step further, receiving clearance from two manufacturers prior to joining the Ricky Capone-led Tower crew.

“BMW and McLaren,” he told Sportscar365. “I had to get permission from both sides because I’m technically driving for both manufacturers in the end.

“For me it was just very important to be here again, just to collect experience again for Le Mans, for whatever might come next year. 

“Being prepared is the most important nowadays. The more experience you have, the better it is.

“For me it was a no brainer when I got the offer to drive. It makes sense.”

Vanthoor noted a similar theme, explaining that preparation for a potential role within BMW’s Hypercar class effort in 2024 was an important factor in signing on with an LMP2 team this year.

“I would be lying if I would say no, keeping it in the back of my mind to hopefully be there next year,” he said.

“In the end, to do Le Mans is always special. If you can do Le Mans, it’s always the biggest race of the year for everyone and especially for the 100th year, to be here as a Belgian driver is, of course, very cool. 

“It’s fun to be together. At the end, I think it also shows that we just try to prepare for what’s coming and try to be as best prepared as possible to make sure that we are not the guys that make a mistake because we don’t know the rules.”