HAAS RT Switches to BMW Ahead of 12H Nürburgring

Photo: Racingpixels/24H Series

HAAS RT will make the switch from Audi to BMW GT3 machinery beginning with this weekend’s Michelin 12H Nürburgring.

The Belgian squad, which has been a regular in Creventic-run competition as well as in other major GT3 endurance races, will debut its new M4 GT3 EVO in the penultimate round of the 24H European Series season with the father-and-son pairing of Peter and Nicolas Guelinckx in GT3-Am.

It comes after the team contested last weekend’s CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa with an Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II entered in the Pro-Am class, which failed to finish due to a brake issue.

“This is an exciting and ambitious step for HAAS RT,” said team manager Kris Dedoncker. “The Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II has been a reliable and respected part of our journey, and we are grateful for everything we achieved with that platform.

“At the same time, the BMW M4 GT3 EVO represents the future direction of our program. Its focus on drivability, efficiency and reliability makes it a strong fit for endurance racing, and the Nürburgring is the perfect place to begin this new chapter.”

The move comes after Audi wound down its GT3 program at the end of 2023, but still continued to offer customer support to its latest-generation model, which has still have achieved success around the world.

Despite rumors of Audi’s recently launched Nuvolari, which is based on the Lamborghini Temerario architecture, potentially becoming a GT3 car, the German manufacturer currently has no successor planned for the R8.

“This move to BMW is a very exciting moment for everyone at HAAS RT,” said team owner Sandrine Haas. “It reflects our ambition to keep growing as a team, to challenge ourselves at the highest level and to build the next phase of our endurance racing project with a manufacturer and car that share our competitive mindset.

“We are proud of what we have achieved so far, and we are even more motivated by what lies ahead.”

Dedoncker added: “Switching to a new GT3 car is always a major undertaking for the entire organization. Our engineers, mechanics, drivers and partners are fully committed to making this transition a success.

“We enter the 12H Nürburgring with respect for the challenge ahead, but also with confidence, motivation and a clear desire to compete at a high level.”

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