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BMW’s New Signing Rast Tested LMDh Car at Aragon

Rene Rast among 10 drivers to have driven BMW LMDh car ahead of U.S-based testing program…

Photo: BMW M Motorsport

Rene Rast recently turned his first laps in the BMW M Hybrid V8 ahead of his new role as a BMW M Motorsport factory driver that will begin next year.

The three-time DTM champion and multiple 24-hour race winner, who is leaving Audi at the end of this year, is one of 10 drivers to have sampled BMW’s LMDh car during the early part of its track testing phase.

Rast is understood to have driven the hybrid-powered car during a session at Aragon that took place very shortly after a five-day outing at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

The German ace will balance his upcoming BMW sports car role with an ABB FIA Formula E World Championship program driving for series newcomer McLaren.

Rast’s 2023 program with BMW hasn’t been announced yet. Next year the manufacturer is due to embark on an IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship campaign with the LMDh, as well as overseeing customer programs for GT3 and GT4 versions of the M4.

Connor De Phillippi, Sheldon van der Linde, Augusto Farfus, Nick Yelloly, Marco Wittmann, Philipp Eng, Dan Harper, Neil Verhagen and Max Hesse have also driven the BMW M Hybrid V8 to date.

According to motorsport director Andreas Roos, BMW is now set to “enter the next development stage” of testing in the U.S.

BMW plans to engage “a host of different drivers” for those tests in preparation for the two-car WeatherTech Championship factory GTP-class entry for Team RLL.

Its preliminary testing phase in Europe has included running in dark and wet weather conditions.

“The first weeks of testing with the BMW M Hybrid V8 went well,” said Roos.

“We have completed a lot of kilometers, during which we uncovered the first weaknesses, which are totally normal with a new car, and have solved some of them already.

“Furthermore, it was important to get feedback from as many drivers as possible, in order to get a good early impression of how our prototype handles.

“Their response has been very positive in this early stage – everyone is impressed by the potential that our LMDh car is already showing. That will follow in the coming months.

“We laid a good foundation during the tests in Europe. Now we enter the next development stage in the USA.”

Daniel Lloyd is a UK-based reporter for Sportscar365, covering the FIA World Endurance Championship, Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, among other series.

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