BMW “Working in the Right Direction” After Runner-Up Finish

Photo: BMW

BMW is “working in the right direction” according to Dries Vanthoor after claiming its first FIA World Endurance Championship Hypercar podium finish following an encouraging outing in Sunday’s 6 Hours of Fuji.

Vanthoor and co-drivers Raffaele Marciello and Marco Wittmann took the Team WRT-entered No. 15 BMW M Hybrid V8 to a runner-up result, finishing just 16 seconds behind the race-winning No. 6 Penske Porsche 963.

It came in a race that saw the Bavarian manufacturer remain in the hunt throughout in its strongest showing yet.

“For sure it’s very cool and we’re very happy to be the first three drivers to get the first podium for BMW in WEC with our car,” Vanthoor told Sportscar365.

“Everybody’s working so hard. Compared to where we started in the beginning of the season, to now be second here in Fuji, nobody would have really thought that.

“It just shows that we’re working in the right direction. We are still far off but it’s a nice feeling.”

Vanthoor felt the Porsche, which was co-driven by his brother Laurens, was in a “different league” in the race.

“Especially on [tire] deg, they were very strong.” he explained. “On pure pace, for three laps to really push, I think it was quite similar.

“But then on average in a complete long run, I think they were just a bit stronger, especially on tire deg.

“On that aspect, we still know what what we can do better and we have to do it better.

“For sure I think we’re first going to enjoy this moment. With the season we’ve had so far already, some back luck, some issues, some this-and-that, to just enjoy this moment and see what we can do in Bahrain.”

Vanthoor noted the Dallara-chassied LMDh car, which is in its first WEC season, took a step forward last time out at Circuit of The Americas but was unable to reap the benefits due to several penalties and setbacks in the race.

“In COTA we showed that we made a small step,” he said. “We didn’t really know what to expect coming here because we’d never been here.

“It was the first time we’ve been here. So it was a bit of a question mark but it again proves the areas where we’re improving the car on is positive.

“That’s good for everyone working flat-out back in Munich and also here at the track and it gives a nice enjoyable moment for everyone.”

Marciello, meanwhile, hailed the podium result as a “big boost” to the Belgian team.

“After Austin, we thought this track might not be the best for us, but the improvements we made paid off,” he said.

“It’s a big boost for us drivers and the team. It’s not just about the podium – it’s about being able to compete at the front and perform well. That’s a great feeling.”

Team principal Vincent Vosse added: “We have finally arrived where we want to be. With the No. 15 BMW M Hybrid V8, we were fully engaged all weekend. It’s an incredible feeling. Everyone did an exceptional job.

“I am overjoyed for the team, which has been giving their all for this project for a year-and-a-half. Now we have reaped the deserved reward. The result gives everyone a boost.”

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John