BMW M Team RLL Takes First Win of 2025 with 1-2 Finish at Road America

BMW M Workforce RLL lastly turned tempo into outcomes at Street America. After a season of close to misses, the BMW M Hybrid V8 scored its first win of the 2025 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship—and added a second-place end for good measure. Philipp Eng and Dries Vanthoor introduced the #24 automotive throughout the road first, adopted by Sheldon van der Linde and Marco Wittmann within the #25. It’s a breakthrough for the GTP program after 4 pole positions and two earlier podiums that didn’t fairly pan out.

Early Bother, Late Technique

Issues didn’t begin easily. Each BMWs certified effectively—second and third—however a pit lane incident shuffled them to the again. Throughout a routine cease, a rival prototype made contact, calmly injuring a BMW crew member and costing the crew beneficial time. From there, it was injury management. With about an hour to go, BMW known as each automobiles in for his or her ultimate gasoline cease, banking on a yellow flag to reset the race. The warning got here, and the technique labored. Eng and Wittmann emerged out entrance after the restart and stored it there till the end, regardless of lapped site visitors and strain from behind.

Paul Miller Racing Takes GTD PRO Win

BMW additionally picked up a category win in GTD PRO. Neil Verhagen and Madison Snow drove the #1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 EVO to first place—their first win this season and the second for the crew. Dan Harper and Max Hesse, who gained at Watkins Glen, had a more durable time within the sister #48 automotive and completed seventh after a scrappy race with contact and site visitors.

In GTD, Robby Foley and Patrick Gallagher got here shut to a different BMW podium, ending fourth within the #96 Turner Motorsport M4 GT3 EVO.

BMW and Rahal to Go Separate Methods After 2025

This outcome additionally comes at a turning level. After 17 years, BMW M Motorsport and Bobby Rahal’s team will part ways on the finish of the season. It’s been some of the constant partnerships within the IMSA paddock, with 24 wins and greater than 100 podiums. Highlights embrace back-to-back Daytona 24 wins in 2019 and 2020 with the M8 GTE, and a dominant run within the GT class with the M3 GT again in 2010 and 2011. Extra just lately, the M Hybrid V8 introduced BMW again to prototype racing in 2023. It now runs in each IMSA and the World Endurance Championship.

BMW says it can proceed within the Hypercar class within the years forward, but it surely gained’t be with Workforce RLL.