Team WRT wins for BMW and van der Linde titles

SRO

Oct 20

Team WRT secured both the Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ Championships with a victory and a double podium finish at the Indianapolis 8 Hour.

BMW IGTC Manufacturers Champion

Team WRT’s third consecutive win at the iconic American venue, WRT’s one-two in Bathurst and win at Suzuka 1000km seals the Manufacturers’ crown for BMW.

📷© Courtesy of Team WRT. #46 Team WRT team celebrating victory and titles at Indianapolis.

Engineer enables BMW M4 GT3 #46 to win.

The #46 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, shared by Valentino Rossi, Charles Weerts, and Kelvin van der Linde, took the win after a dramatic race that was heavily impacted by weather.

#46 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 EVO — 📷© Courtesy of Team WRT. #32 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 EVO

The #46 started with Valentino Rossi from second row as Kelvin Van der Linde was third in the pole shootout. Weerts took over during the second and third hours, running third approaching mid-distance.

In the fourth hour, Van der Linde took P2 behind sister car #777 driven by Marciello.

A violent thunderstorm and lightning brought out the red flag just after the halfway mark, halting the race for 2 hours and 25 minutes.

When racing resumed, under full course yellow, with just over 85 minutes remaining, a bold move from #46 engineer resetting Van der Linde 65-minute maximum stint length one lap earlier than the rest of the grid allowed car #46 to take the lead.

Valentino ROSSI, driver #46: “I am really happy. It was a great weekend. These type of races I enjoy a lot and I also learn a lot. I think I did a good job in the first two hours. I think, all weekend the #777 was faster than us. They were very unlucky. But I am very happy about the weekend and about how I drove.“

Kelvin VAN DER LINDE, driver #46: “It was a difficult race for the team. The #777 deserved the win, they were stronger the whole week. Sometimes you have bad luck in races. Unfortunately the weather decided the race today. Apart from that, four out of five victories is a very unique year for BMW M Motorsport and Team WRT. We need to enjoy and celebrate that. It doesn’t happen every year. And I am very proud to be a small piece of history in my first year for BMW.“

Charles WEERTS, driver #46: "Obviously I am very happy for BMW to get the championship done in Indianapolis. The race was a bizarre one with the thunderstorm and the rain which prevented us from really racing, unfortunately. The #777 was very strong the whole weekend and in front of us before the red flag. They definitely deserved the win today. But the most important thing is that BMW won.“

#888 Mercedes-AMG Team GMR second

The #888 from Mercedes-AMG Team GMR, managed to fight its way up to a podium position. After the thunderstorm with heavy rainfall the race had to be continued and finished behind the safety car. As overtaking was no longer possible on the track, the decision was made in the pit lane. After the final pit stops, Maro Engel completed the final stint in the #888 Mercedes-AMG GT3 in second place and subsequently secured a well-deserved podium finish for Mercedes-AMG Team GMR.

Maro Engel, Mercedes-AMG Team GMR #888: "Many thanks to my teammates and the entire Mercedes-AMG Team GMR. Of course, you never want to finish a race behind the safety car, but nobody can do anything about the conditions. I am convinced that victory would have been possible if the race had restarted. Congratulations also to Kenny on winning the Independent Cup title."
Tom Kalender, Mercedes-AMG Team GMR #888: "It was my first time in a Pro car and my first race in America ever. It was great fun, and second place is a good result, which I am quite happy with. The rain was unfortunate for us because we definitely had the pace to win the race."
Luca Stolz, Mercedes-AMG Team GMR #888: "Second place from seventh on the grid is a good result. We got into the race quickly and drove strong stints. However, due to the interruption and the safety car, we were unable to move further up the field. In the end, it all came down to strategy." Source: Mercedes-AMG Motorsport

Unlucky Marciello with BMW M4 GT3 #777

Team WRT’ sister #777 car, with Al Faisal Al Zubair, Raffaele Marciello, and Augusto Farfus behind the wheel, crossed the line in third position.

📷© Courtesy of Team WRT. #777 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 EVO with Farfus taking over from Al Faisal.

Raffaele Marciello secured P2 in the Pole Shootout with the #777 BMW M4 GT3. The #777 started with Al Faisal Al Zubair; Augusto Farfus took over during the second and third hours running in P2. In hour four, Marciello overtook for the race lead.

After the thunderstorm and lightning, when racing resumed, under full course yellow, with just over 85 minutes remaining, pit strategy became crucial with teams to calculate their final driver stints within a 65-minute max window. That is when Marciello lost the lead to end third.

Raffaele MARCIELLO, driver #777: “We had a lot of fun with my teammates. There is just a nice atmosphere within BMW. The main goal was to secure the championhsip for BMW, and we did, which I am very happy about. We won many races this season and I am very happy for Kelvin. He deserves it. But of course it hurts and we will try again next year.“ Source: BMW Team WRT