BMW M4 GT3 EVO
A penalty from a rival resulted in a reversal
Manthey-EMA’s Porsche 911 GT3 R No. 911, which finished earlier, was demoted due to a penalty, and ROWE Racing’s BMW M4 GT3 Evo No. 98 took the overall victory.
At the 2025 Nürburgring 24 Hours race held on the Nürburgring Nordschleife, ROWE Racing’s #98 BMW M4 GT3 missed out on advancing to the final qualifying session, forcing it to start the race from a tough 17th grid position. Blessed with clear skies, Augusto Farfus, the starting driver for the race, made a brilliant start, moving into the top 10 on the first lap.
An hour and a half after the start, a power problem in the paddock brought out the red flag on the track. After a 2 hour and 15 minute delay, van der Linde raced through the field and moved the #98 car from 9th to 3rd in just two laps.
Marciello and Krohn then took over the drive, maintaining second place with a steady drive even through the night, which was prone to accidents. As the sun rose over the Nordschleife, the #98 M4 GT3 Evo had closed the gap to more than two minutes, and with three and a half hours to go, it was finally within striking distance of the leader.
Although Manthey EMA’s Porsche 911 GT3 R #911 finished in first place, it was penalized 100 seconds for causing an accident, meaning that the #98 M4 GT3 Evo was declared the winner. After the race, Manthey EMA’s appeal against the penalty was rejected, and ROWE Racing’s #98 M4 GT3 Evo was declared the winner.
A victory brought home by the whole team
Despite qualifying in a tough starting position of 17th, ROWE Racing’s No. 98 BMW M4 GT3 Evo managed to take home the victory without any major problems or accidents.
Andreas Roos, BMW M’s head of motorsport, erupted in joy after the finish.
“It was an incredible 24-hour race! We only entered one car, but thanks to our great team and fantastic drivers, we were able to deliver the best performance possible. The four drivers from ROWE Racing delivered a flawless performance. I would like to send my heartfelt thanks and congratulations to ROWE Racing and all the members of BMW M Motorsport.”
Van der Linde, who was the finishing driver, reflected on the race as follows:
“Winning the Nürburgring 24 Hours is a truly honourable moment for me. I would like to once again thank BMW M Motorsport and ROWE Racing for the trust they placed in us. It was an extremely tough race, but the entire team worked perfectly. I can be proud that everyone – the team, the car, the drivers, and even the tyres in the final stages – pushed themselves to the limit. It was one of the toughest 24 Hours races in recent years, and I am extremely proud of this victory.”
New M2 Racing wins class
The new M2 Racing, which was just announced the other day, was entered in the SP3T class and took an impressive class victory.
The new M2 Racing was entered for the first time in this Nürburgring 24 Hours race. Car No. 310, entered by FK Performance Motorsport and driven by BMW M works drivers Jens Klingmann, Charles Wirtz and Hugo de Wilde, as well as motorsport journalist Michael Breutigam, was entered in the SP3T class and showed impressive performance to take the class victory.
The entry-level customer racing car developed by BMW M Motorsport achieved perfect results in the final endurance test conducted before going on sale. Following BMW’s victory in seven classes, including the new M2 Racing, Andreas Roos commented:
“The performance of our newest family member, the BMW M2 Racing, was also impressive, with four fantastic drivers taking class wins. Congratulations to FK Performance Motorsport and all the other teams and drivers who achieved class wins or podium finishes for BMW in the Nürburgring 24 Hours. We are very proud of your hard work.”
