Summer of 2022 the BMW M Team RLL announced that they would be running the No. 24 and No. 25 BMW M Hybrid V8’s in the IMSA GTP class for the 2023 season. Team members began working immediately to get the program up and running to be ready for the Rolex 24 Hours in January. Since then, the team has seen success and the No. 25 team is in contention for a championship. We sat down with Brandon Fry, VP of Sportscar Operations, to get an inside-look at the program this year.
Q. When did BMW M Team RLL begin the build of the BMW M Hybrid V8s, and when did it begin testing?
A. RLL employees went to Dallara in Italy in May 2022 to start the car build. The rollout for the test car was July 25, 2022, at Dallara in Italy.
Q. What was that process like?
A. The process was exciting but also very stressful. It was a lot of work in a short timeline. Guys were working long days, sometimes with setbacks, but the excitement of being a part of this new-generation prototype program was certainly a big motivation. In January, the cars debuted in the GTP class at the Rolex 24-hour race.
Q. What was it like to prepare for the most significant race of the year, as it was the first one?
A. The most brutal (and exciting) part of the IMSA schedule starts with the 24 hours of Daytona, followed shortly by the 12 hours of Sebring. Two historic and demanding events! In terms of season race time, 56% of the season race time is complete, and still March after these first two events. That said, this championship exposes teams that are not prepared. As this was the first year for this new category, I am unsure whether any of the manufacturers were comfortable with the level of preparation. Spares for everyone were a challenge. The new spec hybrid system was an unknown for a lot of teams. Generally, for a 24-hour race, you have a lot of plans, additional support, etc., for contingencies. Still, this year, with so much unknown, we brought a lot of extra people because we did not know what to expect, and we wanted the best ability to react to whatever challenge we faced. We did that reasonably well.
Q. The No. 25 team saw success with two second-place finishes in the 2nd + 3rd races. Can you talk about the success seen and how important it was that they were able to secure a podium at an endurance race and then a sprint race?
A. While Daytona was a race of survival for us this year, we certainly identified that we did not have the performance that we expected, so we quickly identified the areas where we were deficient and a path for improvement. Sebring was a significant step improvement, and while still not where we want to be, it provided strong motivation as we improved our performance and survived what is arguably the most challenging endurance race in the world. This confidence carried over to Long Beach, our shortest race of the season but also one whereby our race performance was competitive enough that we were in the fight for the win. As it worked out, we finished second, but that result showed the team how much we had closed the gap to the others and that we were legitimately in the fight with the other manufacturers and teams.
Q. At the June race, Watkins Glen, the No. 25 team, secured the team’s first victory. What was it like to get a win in the program’s first year?
A. Winning is always the target at RLL, but we are also realistic that it is not handed to you, particularly in a championship consisting of teams and manufacturers such as we have in the IMSA GTP category. Before Watkins, we showed that we have the potential to win races, but having a win is different. It did a lot to gel the team, both BMW and RLL.
Q. Speaking about the drivers, only one of the four primary drivers had been on the North American tour. How did your team have to work with the new drivers and help them get up to speed for each event?
A. That has certainly been a challenge this season. Connor has driven for the team for six years and is very much part of the fabric. Augusto and Philipp have done several Daytona and other IMSA endurance races with the team. Nick was completely new but has fit right in. The challenge has been learning the IMSA tracks and the way the drivers in the series race. On a race weekend, the track time is minimal, and it is also essential to progress with the setup. From this standpoint, having the drivers on the BMW DiL (driver in the loop) simulator has been a big help as the drivers come to the event, often a circuit they have never driven previously but, having driven the sim, know the driving line immediately and are right on pace.
Q. The team is heading into the year’s final race, Petit Le Mans. No. 25 is still in contention for a championship. What’s the mentality heading into that event?
A. Win the race! Mathematically, it will be difficult but possible to win the championship. The best thing we can do to put ourselves in a position to win the championship is for the 25 car to win and the 24 car to finish second, taking as many points off our competitors as possible, so that is the goal.
Q. As you look at the 2024 season, what can partners expect to see in the 2nd year of the program?
A. This program has made a lot of progress throughout this first GTP season, which I expect will continue into next year when we will fight for more podiums and wins. In the case of the 25 car with five podiums, which is more than any of our competitors, we need to improve in the three races whereby the car was not on the podium.
Q. If someone has yet to attend an IMSA race, which one should they attend and why?
A. Tough question, all the races are great for different reasons, which is why IMSA has had record attendance and entries for their races this season. The racing has been excellent (with all four manufacturers winning), and the fans love this class. On one hand, you have endurance races so the spectators can relax and enjoy the race camping, or grilling, or picnicking. But the fighting between the GTP competitors has been so intense that fans will see great racing at all points of the race despite the endurance aspect. The races are a great atmosphere. If anything, I guess I favor Daytona and Sebring because they are such great races to kick the season off, but then Road Atlanta is an excellent season-ender at 10 hours. Even the 100-minute sprint race at Long Beach is a great event. Tough to choose!