Jensen Promoted to BMW Factory Driver

Mikkel Jensen will serve as a BMW factory driver next year, after gaining promotion from the German marque’s junior program.

The 23-year-old Dane’s 2019 schedule has not yet been defined, although Sportscar365 understands he could feature in BMW’s confirmed two-car lineup for the Intercontinental GT Challenge.

DTM is also recognized as a potential option, with the outcome of the series’ rookie test, for which BMW has chosen Jensen, Nicky Catsburg, Nick Yelloly and Sheldon van der Linde, likely deciding where he goes.

“Mikkel has done a very good job this year in GT3 racing,” said BMW Motorsport director Jens Marquardt.

“We will do the rookie test and then we will go from there. We will take some time to decide, and then make a decision whether we run one of the four drivers [in DTM] or somebody else.”

Jensen’s performances in ADAC GT Masters this year, behind the wheel of a Schnitzer-entered BMW M6 GT3, contributed to his signing as a fully-fledged works driver.

He and Timo Scheider finished sixth in the overall drivers’ standings and stood on the podium three times in the season.

Jensen also finished second in the GT Masters Junior Cup class for drivers under 25 years of age.

The former European Formula 3 ace is currently BMW Team MTEK’s reserve driver for the FIA World Endurance Championship, and this year raced in the European Le Mans Series LMP3 class for AT Racing alongside his GT3 commitments.

In addition to Jensen’s factory signing, ABB FIA Formula E Championship reserve driver Beitske Visser will continue in her role as a BMW Junior for a third year.

BMW will hold a selection process in 2019 to determine the next inductees to its factory Junior scheme, which in recent years has enabled the likes of Jesse Krohn and Joel Eriksson to gain promotion into the main GT and DTM works pool.