BMW M Motorsport secures Manufacturers’ Championship at IGTC Season Finale

 

Kelvin van der Linde (RSA) was crowned Drivers’ Champion of the Intercontinental GT Challenge at the season finale. The South African took victory in a chaotic Indianapolis 8 Hour (USA) alongside Charles Weerts (BEL) and Valentino Rossi (ITA) in the #46 BMW M4 GT3 EVO fielded by Team WRT. Their teammates Raffaele Marciello (ITA), Augusto Farfus (BRA) and Al Faisal Al Zubair (OMA) completed the double podium by finishing third in the #777 BMW M4 GT3 EVO. With that, BMW clinched its first-ever Manufacturers’ Championship title in the IGTC. The “Battle on the Bricks” was initially halted for a long time due to a thunderstorm with heavy rain and eventually finished behind the safety car.

From the start of the weekend, the BMW M4 GT3 EVO showed strong pace on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. All five BMW cars made it into the Pole Shootout. Philipp Eng (AUT) set the fastest time there in the #51 Random Vandals Racing entry – but the team was stripped of pole position after the car was found to be slightly under the minimum weight. This promoted the #777 BMW M4 GT3 EVO of Team WRT to start from second place, directly ahead of its sister car, the #46.

In the race, the strong performance from qualifying continued as all BMW M4 GT3 EVOs impressed from the start. After three and a half hours, the four Pro entries occupied positions two through five when the title contenders took over driving duties for the first time: Marciello in the #777 BMW M4 GT3 EVO in second place, directly ahead of van der Linde in third. With two spectacular overtakes, the WRT duo soon took over the lead and established a 1–2 formation – before a thunderstorm moved over the circuit and brought out a red flag for more than two hours.

Around 90 minutes before the end of the clock, the Indianapolis 8 Hour resumed behind the safety car in heavy rain. Pit stops shuffled the order, putting van der Linde in the lead in the #46 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, while the #777 BMW M4 GT3 EVO with Marciello at the wheel lost two positions due to a later stop. The race was briefly restarted but soon ended again behind the safety car – with the #46 BMW M4 GT3 EVO leading the field to the finish. Thus, Team WRT celebrated its third consecutive victory at the Indianapolis 8 Hour, following wins in 2023 and 2024.

With its fourth win in five races this season, BMW also claimed the IGTC Manufacturers’ Championship for the first time, while van der Linde secured the Drivers’ Title. Earlier in the season, BMW M Motorsport and van der Linde had already triumphed at the Bathurst 12 Hour, the Nürburgring 24 Hours, and the Suzuka 1000KM. Just the previous Sunday, the South African and Weerts had also won the overall title in the GT World Challenge Europe.

Meanwhile, bad luck struck the #51 BMW M4 GT3 EVO of Eng, Bill Auberlen, and Varun Choksey (both USA). After a brilliant opening stint from tenth on the grid, the Random Vandals Racing car even led the race at one stage. However, a technical issue with the engine cost the team significant time in the pits, and they eventually retired after the red flag. Their teammates Connor De Phillippi, Conor Daly, and Kenton Koch (all USA) delivered a strong performance in the #99 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, finishing fourth overall. That result also secured De Phillippi and Koch the Drivers’ Title in the GT World Challenge America.

Turner Motorsport celebrated third place in the Pro-Am category with the #29 BMW M4 GT3 EVO driven by BMW M works driver Robby Foley alongside Patrick Gallagher and Justin Rothberg (USA). With that result, Foley and Rothberg also claimed the overall Pro-Am Championship title.

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