Roos: Long-Awaited First BMW Hypercar Victory a “Big Relief”

Photo: Andrea Lorenzina/DPPI

BMW M Motorsport boss Andreas Roos says securing its first FIA World Endurance Championship Hypercar victory is a “big relief” after more than two years of trying.

The German manufacturer claimed a 1-2 finish in last weekend’s 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, led home by its No. 20 BMW M Hybrid V8 of Rene Rast, Sheldon van der Linde and Robin Frijins, which went on an alternate strategy early in the race.

The breakthrough result came in BMW’s 18th WEC race in the series’ top class.

“I can only be thankful to everybody involved in the whole project because it was a big effort from the beginning, from the get-go when we decided to enter the Hypercar category in the WEC championship,” said Roos.

“It was hard work but in the end with these boys and seeing two cars on the podium, it couldn’t be better.

“It’s a big relief also. For sure it’s nice to take these victories back home to Munich. I think everybody can be proud of it and I hope we can build up on it.

“We worked a lot in the last years, and especially also on the Evo update on the car, especially on the race pace, to have the car more predictable and more consistent for the guys and do one quick lap after the another.

“This was also the key in this race here to win. We brought the cars into clean air and the guys were able to quick lap times one after the other. In the end, this made the gap to put the car into the front.

“I have to say in the end, Car No. 15 with Kevin [Magnussen] in the car, in the end, he also did an amazing job to keep the position. Also thank you to that crew to put that car in P2.”

It came after the WRT-run factory squad struggled for most of its sophomore season in 2025, which saw only a single podium between the two entries.

“Last year, we had a very good start into the season, to be honest. This was working quite well,” said Roos.

“In Le Mans we were unlucky with technical issues on both cars. Then somehow it didn’t go well in the rest of the season with some issues we had.

“Coming back that strong is even more rewarding. Now we have to push that we can keep this momentum for the whole year.

“We’re leading the manufacturer and drivers’ championships now. But there’s a long a long way to go. We have only two races behind us.

“The big one is now coming with Le Mans. But it’s always good to go with the momentum like this into the biggest race of the year and we hope we can also do something good there.”

BMW Carrying Momentum from Multiple Series into N24, Le Mans

Roos believes that with its two podium finishes so far in IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTP competition this season, with the first-year U.S.-based WRT squad, along with being set to defend its Nürburgring 24 overall win this weekend, the Munich brand is bringing momentum across multiple programs.

“Like always in motorsport, when you have a bit of momentum it helps also to get things done which maybe sometimes don’t or you you don’t get together,” he said.

“Therefore I’m super happy and I’m especially super happy for the whole effort.

“When we look at Daytona, the first race with our Evo car, the first race together with WRT [in IMSA], who have built up something in the U.S. and being directly on the podium.

“Last weekend in Laguna Seca, also being on the podium and here the double victory.

“It’s a huge reward for the whole project, for everybody involved, for the people in the team, for the people at home developing the car and at the race track, that everything goes in the right direction.

“This is why we can be super happy and proud.”

When asked about their prospects for this weekend’s N24, Roos said they feel confident, especially given BMW’s increased effort this year, when it only fielded a single M4 GT3 EVO last year, which ended up winning.

“We have the No. 1 on the car, defending our title,” he said. “We have three very strong cars in the SP9 class with our M4 GT3 EVO, and one special car in the SPX class with our M3 Touring 24H.

“I’m really pumped and looking forward for it. There’s a big smile on my face when I’m looking forward to going to Nürburgring because I think it will be a huge event.”

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