The BMW WRT #69 wins in LMGT3 at Imola: "I couldn't have written a better script"

The LMGT3 victory was decided in the final minutes of a particularly eventful race for the #69 BMW of Team WRT. McLaren Garage 59 car #10 — which started from pole position with Thomas Flemming, Antares Au and Marvin Kirchhöfer — seemed well on its way to winning its debut in WEC, before a mechanical problem forced them to pit 38 minutes from the checkered flag. A cruel twist of fate for the British team, which had notably delivered one of the best duels of the day with a wheel-to-wheel battle between Jonny Edgar and Thomas Fleming over several corners.

The battle for victory then tightened between the No. 69 BMW and the No. 33 Corvette Z06.R of Blake McDonald, Nicky Catsburg, and Jonny Edgar. Ultimately, it was the BMW that held on to cross the finish line in first place, giving McIntosh, Thompson, and Harper an unexpected but well-deserved win. The victory came at the end of a thrilling race, in which the crew of the No. 69 BMW had to show real grit.

Anthony McIntosh, who barely concealed his emotion at the microphone, summed up the race with disarming candor: "The team was great, the car too, and what a superb way to start the WEC season, I couldn't have written a better script." He nevertheless wanted to highlight the merit of his two teammates, who had to cope with a car penalized in top speed: "Well done to my two teammates, they really drove flat out, they took a car that we were struggling with in terms of top speed, and they climbed back to the front. Hats off to them, that's really impressive."

Harper in the bath right away

For Parker Thompson, this victory has a special significance. He is competing in his first WEC race alongside Daniel Harper and makes no secret of his surprise at the scale of the result: "It's incredible, this is our first WEC race with Dan, I can't believe we won!" He praised Harper's rapid integration into the group: “Dan is the newcomer, but he has adapted perfectly to our team, and I feel like we're always managing to get on the podium. It's a fantastic start to the season.”

Daniel Harper, for his part, seized his opportunity during his decisive stint. The Briton, visibly energized by McIntosh's start, relied on the work of his teammates to find his window of opportunity: "What Anthony did at the start reminded me of what I'm capable of sometimes, it was great! They really put me in a good position, and I did my best to take the positions on the track." A successful first WEC race for the British driver, who eagerly concludes: "I'm looking forward to seeing how the next races go." For BMW WRT, also competing in the WEC with its Hypercars, this class double win sends a strong message to the competition in LMGT3 right from the start of the season. The next event of the season will be the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps from May 7th to 9th.

ALSO READ > Toyota wins the 2026 Imola 6 Hours ahead of Ferrari