BMW M Hybrid V8 to intensify testing in the United States

Launched on track on July 25 in Varano de' Melegari (Italy), the BMW M Hybrid V8 continued the various test sessions in August on European circuits. The German manufacturer will now intensify its tests in the United States to prepare for its competition debut, scheduled for the 24 Hours of Daytona (January 26-29) 2023.

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BMW M Hybrid V8 livery soon to be revealed

“The first weeks of testing with the BMW M Hybrid V8 went well, explains Andreas Roos, head of BMW M Motorsport. We covered a lot of kilometers, during which we discovered the first weaknesses, which is completely normal with a new car, and have already solved some of them. Additionally, it was important to get feedback from as many drivers as possible, in order to have a good first impression of how our prototype behaved. Their response has been very positive at this early stage – everyone is impressed by the potential our LMDh car is already showing. We laid a good foundation during testing in Europe. We are now entering the next stage of development in the United States. »

From this September, BMW M Motorsport and BMW M Team RLL, the team which will operate the prototype in the North American endurance championship in 2023, will continue testing on various circuits in the United States. A multitude of different drivers will again be used during these tests. From this weekend, theIMSA is organizing a collective session at Daytona with the different manufacturers expected in the GTP category in 2023 (Acura, BMW, Cadillac, Porsche).

So far, Connor De Phillippi, Sheldon van der Linde, Macro Wittmann, Augusto Farfus, Nick Yelloly and Philipp Eng are the propeller firm's factory drivers to have taken turns at the wheel. To these, we must add three drivers from the BMW Junior Team: Dan Harper, Max Hesse and Neil Verhagen. Announced as the brand's future driver from the start of 2023, René Rast also received exceptional authorization from Audi, his current employer, to cover a few kilometers in Aragón.

The BMW M Hybrid V8 racing livery will be revealed on September 22 at an event at the Peterson Museum in Los Angeles.