Just a few weeks after announcing the Hypercar line-up, the GT drivers who will represent BMW M Motorsport in 2025 in the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC) and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IMSA series) have been confirmed. Valentino Rossi (ITA) will enter his second year in the LMGT3 category of the FIA WEC with the #46 BMW M4 GT3 EVO.
He will share the cockpit with newcomer Kelvin van der Linde (RSA) and Ahmad Al Harthy (OMA). In the #31 The Bend Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 EVO, BMW M works driver Augusto Farfus (BRA) will be joined by two new partners, Timur Boguslavskiy and Yasser Shahin. In the IMSA series, Paul Miller Racing will compete with two BMW M4 GT3 EVOs and an all-works driver line-up in the GTD PRO class. Turner Motorsport will also rely on works driver support in the GTD category .
FIA WEC: Second attempt at Le Mans victory and world championship title.
Team WRT enters the 2025 FIA WEC season with the goal of competing for victory in the LMGT3 class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (FRA) and the world championship title. Once again, nine-time motorcycle world champion Valentino Rossi is part of the team. He will share the cockpit of the #46 BMW M4 GT3 EVO with Kelvin van der Linde and Ahmad Al Harthy. While Al Harthy was Rossi’s teammate in 2024, van der Linde joins as a new BMW M works driver.
In the #31 The Bend Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 EVO, there are two changes. Augusto Farfus – who finished second at Le Mans and fourth in the championship standings in 2024 – remains on board and will share the cockpit with newcomers Timur Boguslavskiy and Yasser Shahin. Boguslavskiy has an impressive history in the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS, where he competed alongside current BMW M works driver Raffaele Marciello (SUI) and was crowned champion in 2020 and 2023.
Shahin competed in the 2024 FIA WEC season for Team Manthey EMA, finishing second in the championship standings. Along the way, he triumphed at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (BEL). In 2021 and 2022, Shahin won the title in the GT World Challenge Australia. In 2024, he won the Bathurst 12 Hour (AUS) in the Pro-Am class.
IMSA series: Ten BMW M works drivers in three BMW M4 GT3 EVOs.
The IMSA series season traditionally begins at the end of January with a season highlight, the 24 Hours of Daytona (USA). A total of ten BMW M works drivers will take the wheel of three BMW M4 GT3 EVOs for the Paul Miller Racing and Turner Motorsport teams, five of whom will compete throughout the entire IMSA season. Paul Miller Racing will field two cars in the GTD PRO class. In the #1 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, the two Americans, Madison Snow and Neil Verhagen, will compete for the entire season.
They will be supported by Connor De Phillippi (USA) and Kelvin van der Linde (RSA) at endurance races. The South African will make his racing debut as a BMW M works driver at the 24h Daytona. In the #48 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, Dan Harper (GBR) and Max Hesse (GER) will enter their first IMSA season. Additional drivers at endurance races are Jesse Krohn (FIN) and Augusto Farfus (BRA).
Turner Motorsport will field the #96 BMW M4 GT3 EVO in the GTD category. BMW M works driver Robby Foley (USA) will once again compete for the entire season alongside Patrick Gallagher (USA). Jake Walker (USA) will support the team at endurance races. The fourth driver at Daytona is BMW M works driver Jens Klingmann (GER).
Andreas Roos (Head of BMW M Motorsport): “As with our Hypercar works programmes, we can look forward to great BMW M Motorsport driver line-ups in the GT3 customer racing programmes of the FIA WEC and IMSA series in 2025. I congratulate Team WRT on once again securing some of the best Silver and Bronze drivers for the cockpits of our two new BMW M4 GT3 EVOs. They will hopefully create many great moments alongside our three works drivers. In the IMSA series, Paul Miller Racing is going all out with two BMW M4 GT3 EVOs in the GTD PRO class, supported by a high-class selection of works drivers. The reunion of the former BMW Junior Team with Dan Harper, Max Hesse, and Neil Verhagen in one championship and team is a great bonus that underlines the extreme success of the relaunch of the legendary BMW M Motorsport talent promotion programme.”
Björn Lellmann (Head of Customer Racing at BMW M Motorsport): “In the 2025 season, the BMW M4 GT3 EVO makes its debut, and the FIA WEC and IMSA series are two of the most prestigious arenas for the car. Accordingly, our determination to achieve immediate success and demonstrate what the car is capable of is great. The strong driver line-ups of the WRT, Paul Miller Racing, and Turner Motorsport teams provide the optimal conditions for this. Looking at the IMSA series, I am thrilled with how Paul Miller Racing is approaching the new season. With the team’s experience, the new car, and the driver line-up, the focus can only be on targeting the title in the GTD PRO class. Turner Motorsport was in contention for the GTD championship for a long time in 2024. I am convinced that Will Turner’s experienced team will play a great role again in the upcoming season. I can hardly wait for the first races.“
Valentino Rossi: “Very happy to continue my experience in the FIA WEC, as last year was a strong debut season. We had some good races including two podiums and we want to try to be stronger and faster. We will work hard together with BMW M Motorsport to improve our performance and be more competitive in every race. It’s great to once again race at some fantastic tracks, that I know well from racing motorcycles, and this makes me enjoy racing in the FIA WEC. Le Mans is of course the most important one, we were unlucky last year, but we will fight for the podium in 2025!”
Driver line-ups overview:
FIA WEC:
#31 The Bend Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 EVO:
Augusto Farfus (Pro)
Timur Boguslavskiy (Silver)
Yasser Shahin (Bronze)
#46 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, Team WRT:
Kelvin van der Linde (Pro)
Valentino Rossi (Silver)
Ahmad Al Harthy (Bronze)
IMSA series:
#1 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, Paul Miller Racing, GTD PRO:
Madison Snow
Neil Verhagen
Connor De Phillippi (Endurance)
Kelvin van der Linde (Endurance)
#48 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, Paul Miller Racing, GTD PRO:
Dan Harper
Max Hesse
Jesse Krohn (Endurance)
Augusto Farfus (Endurance)
#96 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, Turner Motorsport, GTD:
Robby Foley
Patrick Gallagher
Jake Walker (Endurance)
Jens Klingmann (24h Daytona)
