Double win in Belgium
BMW had to wait a long time before celebrating its first victory in the Hypercar class of the WEC World Championship, but the wait was rewarded with a bang: BMW, in fact, achieved a double win in the 6 Hours of Spa with the #20 ahead of the #15. Below is all the joy of the protagonists of the German manufacturer who now lead both championships ahead of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
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Vincent Vosse, Team Principal of the BMW M Team WRT: “We couldn’t have dreamed of a better home race. I am very happy and incredibly satisfied for the whole team. The drivers did a perfect job and the team was fantastic, making the right strategic decisions at the right time. The next big event is Le Mans. We couldn’t arrive there with a better feeling.”
René Rast, driver of the #20: “It’s really a fantastic story for us. We waited more than two years for this first victory in the FIA WEC. Everyone at BMW M Motorsport and Team WRT worked incredibly hard for this. We had come close in the past, and now we finally made it. If someone had told me before the race, I wouldn’t have believed it, because in qualifying we still lacked a bit of pace. At the start, I was stuck in traffic, but the team worked a miracle with their strategy and brought me to the lead. With a clear track, our car literally flew. This victory is something very special not only for BMW M Motorsport but also for Team WRT, after all it is their home race.”
Sheldon van der Linde, driver of the #20: “For us, it’s like a fairy tale. For the team, the victory came just at the right time after more than two years in this project. And for me, it was my first win in a WEC race: it’s incredible! Many thanks to my teammates, who always kept calm and did a perfect job. Our strategy was risky, because if the next yellow flag phase had come at the wrong moment, we would have ended up at the back of the pack. But it worked perfectly.”
Robin Frijns, driver of the #20: “Being the last driver to go out on track, I definitely felt the pressure to bring home the first victory. For this reason, I was a bit more cautious than usual when overtaking the GT cars. We all worked hard for this moment. Now we lead with both cars, and I am very happy and above all proud of everyone who worked behind the scenes to make all this possible.”
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Kevin Magnussen, driver of the #15: “It’s definitely the best second place I’ve ever had. Usually, you’re not so happy with second place, but today… wow. A double win for the BMW M Team WRT. At WRT’s home track, a double win for BMW – the first in the Hypercar class in the WEC. It’s simply incredible. What a day, and what a commitment from everyone! I’m so proud and motivated to keep working from here, to improve things and achieve even more.”
Dries Vanthoor, driver of the #15: “Kevin did an extraordinary job; I think he’s the hero of the day. He had a great start and a great finish. At Imola, we showed we were doing a good job, and here we improved even more. We are making further progress. We still have to work hard, but we are progressing well, especially in the race. And of course, the victory of the sister car was exactly what we were waiting for. It’s really nice to get a double win and start from here to give everyone in the project, the mechanics, everyone, a boost of confidence. I’m very happy for everyone. A big thanks to everyone at BMW for always pushing forward and holding on. Sometimes it was tough, but we always held on – and so did the team. When you keep working hard, results come, and I think that’s what we saw today.”
Raffaele Marciello, driver of the #15: “It’s an incredible day. It was a fantastic race for the team. The other car had a great strategy. We were a bit lucky with the virtual safety car, but in the end, we were fast enough in the race, so we are very happy with this result too. Finally, we won a race. We did a double win and now the championship situation looks good, even though we are still at the beginning of the season.”
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