WRT Anticipating Stable of Seven to Eight BMW M4 GT3s

Team WRT anticipates having a stable of seven to eight BMW M4 GT3s next year as it continues to work on its racing programs, according to team principal Vincent Vosse.

The former Audi squad is expecting to assemble a large fleet of BMWs to cover what is set to be an extensive effort in its first year with the Munich-based manufacturer.

WRT has made some space in its Belgian headquarters by selling five of its six Audi R8 LMS GT3s, although it has kept the model that won the 2019 Suzuka 10 Hours.

Vosse’s organization has not announced where it will be running the M4 GT3s next year but a continuation in Fantec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS is likely.

WRT has spent the last few weeks running the BMWs at several circuits including Barcelona, Magny-Cours, Valencia and Paul Ricard, which it visited last week.

“We’ve been testing intensively,” Vosse told Sportscar365.

“It’s been working quite well. It’s a very different environment and very different cars, but very nicely thought [out] and impressive. I’m very impressed by the car.

“At the end, we are not talking about developing a car or building anything. We are talking about fine-tuning something.

“You never start from zero: the car has been built by a manufacturer to a certain level.”

When asked how many BMWs his team expects to have next year, Vosse said “between seven and eight”, adding that “we will need them” to cover the racing programs.

He also confirmed that a third M4 GT3 has been delivered, in addition to the original pair that turned laps at Barcelona last month.

“We are still working hard on it,” Vosse said of the GT3 program.

“You might see us in some Intercontinental [GT Challenge] races. You might see us in Dubai.

“It’s always a good race to discover everything. And then you will see us where you expect us to be.”

A pair of WRT-entered BMW M4 GT3s are currently on the provisional Hankook 24 Hours of Dubai entry list.

It is understood, but not confirmed, that WRT is looking to enter the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour in February, while a return to the Road to Le Mans which it contested last year with Audi is also under consideration.

“We have achieved a lot with Audi in the past, including that race,” Vosse said regarding Bathurst, which WRT won in 2018.

“This is the pedigree and now we start from zero again. We have to catch up very quickly.”

WRT was provisionally signed up for next month’s Intercontinental GT Challenge powered by Pirelli season-ending Gulf 12 Hours, but withdrew to focus on privately testing its BMWs and to leave space for the transition to a new manufacturer.

“We needed to make a break between 2022 and 2023, between Audi and BMW,” Vosse explained.

“A break for many different things. We would not race a BMW in 2022 and it was decided that we wouldn’t race the Audi after [the GTWC Europe race at] Barcelona.

“There were different races like Motorsport Games and Abu Dhabi… but at one stage, you need to make a break and that was a good idea.

“Our Audi material has been sold or sent away. We are starting a new stock and it’s tough work. You need a bit of time to do that.

“If you are in a rush, it’s not the right idea. So it was the perfect scenario, I would say.”