BMW Eyeing Manufacturer, Driver Crowns in IGTC Title Decider

Photo: Fabian Lagunas/SRO

BMW is focused on delivering both the drivers’ and manufacturers’ titles in Intercontinental GT Challenge powered by Pirelli in this weekend’s championship-decider at Yas Maria Circuit according to BMW M Motorsport boss Andreas Roos.

The German manufacturer enters the Gulf 12 Hours with a narrow nine-point lead over Mercedes-AMG, while its drivers trail Jules Gounon in a similarly close battle in the drivers’ championship.

It comes after a season that has seen BMW claim wins in the last three IGTC races, with momentum riding on Team WRT’s side following its 1-2 finish in October’s Indianapolis 8 Hour presented by AWS.

“It’s quite interesting,” Roos told Sportscar365. “We had some good races with some wins already, especially the 24-hour race in Spa. We’re leading in the manufacturers’ championship. We’re second and third in the drivers’ championship.

“Second is Philipp [Eng] and third is Dries [Vanthoor] and Sheldon [van der Linde]. We have quite some drivers in the mix that can still fight for the championship.

“This is why we’re there. We want to win championships and we want to win races. So we’re focusing on this and are trying to finish the season on a high, hopefully.”

When asked which championship BMW is focused on, Roos indicated the manufacturers’ title would be the first objective but didn’t downplay the importance of the drivers’ championship.

“As I’m from BMW, I would say it’s the manufacturers’ title but you always want to win both,” he said.

“But one is always better than nothing. We go there to fight for both championships in the end and hopefully we will manage.”

BMW has split both Vanthoor and van der Linde, who are tied on 62 points, with the South African mathematically out of contention for the title due to sharing the No. 32 car with Eng, who is second in the standings with 68 points.

Eng and van der Linde are joined by Charles Weerts this weekend, with Vanthoor being joined by Nick Yelloly and Valentino Rossi in the No. 46 BMW M4 GT3.

BMW Yet to Commit to 2024 IGTC Campaign

Roos said the manufacturer has yet to officially confirm its presence on the IGTC grid next year, which will feature a four-round calendar including the addition of the Nürburgring 24 alongside the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa, Bathurst 12 Hour and Indianapolis.

The 2024 season will see BMW enter the WEC in both Hypercar and the LMGT3 classes, along with continued commitments in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS.

“We try to balance it out, so we take part in the most important championships which are important for us as a brand from a marketing side and where the local markets are strong,” Roos explained.

“We will try to be present but for us, BMW, it’s not only to be present. When we try to compete we also want to compete for championships and wins. That’s why we try to focus on some main championships.”

When asked when the manufacturer could have further clarity on its position in IGTC, Roos, speaking to Sportscar365 at the FIA GT World Cup in Macau, said it’s “too early” to define a specific date.

“We hopefully can be there again but there’s nothing decided yet,” he said.

“First we have to decide which programs we will do. Then we start looking at which teams can do which championships, also because of clashes. Then the next step is which drivers can do what because of the amount of races and clashes with other championships. But we will sort this out.

“There’s a lot of things involved involved in terms of sponsorships, partnerships and other commitments you have. So it’s not only about us deciding, it’s a bigger thing.”

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