Victory for BMW M Motorsport and ROWE Racing at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring! In front of a record crowd in the "Green Hell", Kelvin van der Linde, Augusto Farfus, Jesse Krohn, and Raffaele Marciello crowned an outstanding comeback with BMW's 21st overall victory at the endurance classic on the Nordschleife. Additionally, the new BMW M2 Racing impressed: In its final endurance test, the new entry-level race car – fielded by Team FK Performance Motorsport – celebrated a class victory.
ROWE Racing had a challenging start to the weekend in the Eifel. After the #98 BMW M4 GT3 EVO missed out on the top qualifying session, the BMW M works driver quartet started the race from 17th position. However, under perfect weather conditions, Farfus delivered a dream start, moving into the top 10 within the first lap. After an hour and a half, a power outage in the paddock caused a red flag. Following a 2-hour and 15-minute interruption, van der Linde stormed through the field during the restart, advancing the #98 BMW M4 GT3 EVO from ninth to third in just two laps.
Subsequently, Marciello and Krohn solidified their positions in the podium ranks, with ROWE Racing navigating the night flawlessly and steadily in second place, building a comfortable gap to the cars behind. As the sun rose over the Nordschleife, the #98 BMW M4 GT3 EVO closed a gap of over two minutes to the leader. By the morning hours, the race turned into a true thriller in the "Green Hell". Three and a half hours before the finish, Farfus claimed the lead for ROWE Racing for the first time.
After a penalty was issued to the competing #911 Porsche, the #98 BMW M4 GT3 EVO was firmly on course for victory, which van der Linde secured after 24 hours. Although he crossed the finish line behind the Porsche, the Manthey EMA team's appeal against the penalty was dismissed, ensuring ROWE Racing's victory. For van der Linde, this marked his third triumph at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring after wins in 2017 and 2022 – his first with BMW M Motorsport. Alongside Farfus and his brother Sheldon van der Linde, the 29-year-old had also won the season opener of the Intercontinental GT Challenge in Bathurst, Australia. This series includes the 24h Nürburgring as well as the upcoming 24h Spa-Francorchamps next weekend.
For Farfus, it was his second victory on the Nordschleife after a 15-year wait, while Marciello celebrated his first 24h-race win for BMW M Motorsport in front of a record crowd of 280,000 spectators. For Krohn, it was also his first victory at the 24h Nürburgring. BMW, the record champions at the Nürburgring, last triumphed five years ago. In 2020, the BMW M6 GT3, also fielded by ROWE Racing, claimed victory.
Impressive class victory for the BMW M2 Racing.
Impressive class victory for the BMW M2 Racing.
The new BMW M2 Racing also delivered an outstanding performance: BMW M works drivers Jens Klingmann, Charles Weerts, and Ugo de Wilde, along with motorsport journalist Michael Bräutigam, were unbeatable in the SP 3T class with the #310 car. This marked a perfect final endurance test before the sales phase begins for the new BMW M Motorsport entry-level race car.
In total, BMW M Motorsport customer teams achieved seven class victories at the 24h Nürburgring. The #67 BMW M4 GT4 EVO from AV Racing by Black Falcon triumphed in the SP10 class. Additional successes included the #650 BMW M240i Racing from Adrenalin Motorsport Team Mainhattan Wheels in the BMW M240i class, the #500 BMW 330i from the same team in the VT2 rear-wheel-drive class, the #700 BMW 325i from rent2Drive-racing in its respective class, and the #277 BMW 318ti from RAVENOL Motorsport by MDM Racing in the SP3 class.
I am absolutely thrilled for ROWE Racing and the drivers on this 21st overall victory for BMW at the 24h Nürburgring. This time, we could only compete with one car in the top class, but as we’ve seen, when the team and drivers deliver a perfect performance, the 'Green Hell' can be forgiving. In recent years, it hasn’t always been on our side, but this time, after 2020, we finally managed to secure another victory. Congratulations to everyone involved!
What an incredible 24-hour race! Although we only competed with one car, we had a fantastic team and amazing drivers. ROWE Racing, along with Augusto Farfus, Jesse Krohn, Raffaele Marciello, and Kelvin van der Linde, delivered an absolutely flawless and perfect performance.
I am incredibly happy and proud of my team and drivers. I still can’t quite believe it. The race was exciting on so many levels. If someone had told me on Thursday that we’d be standing here as winners on Sunday, I wouldn’t have believed them.
Driver statements.
Augusto Farfus (#98 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, ROWE Racing, Winner): "I had the privilege of driving the formation lap and seeing all these fans. This place is magical. We are blessed to be part of this show and to race in front of these people. I celebrated my first major victory for BMW M Motorsport here 15 years ago, and to stand here again is something special – and with the only BMW M4 GT3 EVO. We came here with just one car, but in the end, we represented BMW in the best possible way. Our goal was to finish the race, and in the end, we did so as winners. Thank you to BMW M Motorsport and ROWE Racing for the trust. Bringing this trophy home is also a big reward for the people in Munich."
Jesse Krohn (#98 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, ROWE Racing, Winner): "I am just grateful: grateful to BMW M Motorsport, ROWE Racing, my teammates, and the fans. This is such a special day. I’ve been coming here for over ten years, and finally, everything came together. There are moments when you feel like it will never happen, but now we’ve done it. You just need the right people around you, and we had that today. I’m just thankful to be here and to experience this moment."
Raffaele Marciello (#98 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, ROWE Racing, Winner): "I am very happy. The 24 Hours of Nürburgring is one of the races I’ve always wanted to win. I’m glad that this dream has finally come true. Among the three 24-hour races this June, this was my main goal. Achieving this victory makes me incredibly proud. My teammates did a fantastic job. Thank you to BMW M Motorsport and ROWE Racing."
Kelvin van der Linde (#98 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, ROWE Racing, Winner): "It’s always a privilege: Thank you to BMW M Motorsport and ROWE Racing for the trust. It was an extreme race. The entire team worked flawlessly. Everyone was at their limit: the car, us, and the tires at the end. It was one of the toughest 24-hour races I’ve experienced here, and I am very, very proud."
Ugo de Wilde (#310 BMW M2 Racing, FK Performance Motorsport, 1st Place SP 3T Class): "It was a fantastic weekend for me: my first 24 hours on the Nordschleife. The main goal was to gain experience and show that the car is reliable. We achieved that. The car was very good, very reliable, very consistent, and it was fun to drive. It was a fantastic experience to drive at night and to spend these days with the great team and my amazing teammates. We had a great atmosphere, and it was a joy to work with them. Huge congratulations to BMW M Motorsport, ROWE Racing, and all the drivers – especially my GT World Challenge teammate Kelvin – on the overall victory."
Jens Klingmann (#310 BMW M2 Racing, FK Performance Motorsport, 1st Place SP 3T Class): "We are super happy. We completed the 24h Nürburgring, the dress rehearsal, the ultimate endurance test, without any issues. That makes us very proud and confident that we can deliver a proven race car that also has strong performance. With P36 in the overall standings and the class victory, we’ve clearly demonstrated that. We are incredibly happy; the car ran flawlessly and looks the same after the final lap as it did after the first. And of course, we are very happy about the overall victory for BMW M Motorsport and that the trophy is heading back to Munich."
Charles Weerts (#310 BMW M2 Racing, FK Performance Motorsport, 1st Place SP 3T Class): "It was a very good race for both the BMW M4 GT3 EVO and the BMW M2 Racing. The car performed very well. Our primary goal was to finish the race – and then to be as successful as possible. And we achieved that. Michael, Ugo, Jens, and the entire team did a fantastic job. It’s great to see that the project worked so well. And if the car survives the 24 hours at the Nürburgring, it’s a very successful test for the car. I’m very happy for BMW M Motorsport, and of course, congratulations to ROWE Racing on the overall victory with the #98."
Michael Bräutigam (#310 BMW M2 Racing, FK Performance Motorsport, 1st Place SP 3T Class): "My weekend was filled with many emotions. First and foremost, I was incredibly proud to even be part of this project and to drive and get to know a car that no one outside the BMW family had seen before. Thank you to BMW M Motorsport for that! Since I’m from the Eifel, this race – especially in front of a record crowd – is an absolute highlight for me. I’m very happy with the result and my performance."