Season 2025 ofEndurance begins this weekend with the 24 Hours of Daytona, the first meeting and flagship race of theIMSA. To best prepare for this first classic of the year, the teams were entitled to half a dozen test sessions during the Roar, which took place from Friday to Sunday. If these few days usually ended with the qualifying for the event, this is no longer the case this year, since the grid will be decided on Thursday during a dedicated session. Each was thus free to roll out its own program and it is therefore difficult to establish a real hierarchy before the double round the clock. Nevertheless, among the different manufacturers entered in the GTP category, the one that appeared most at ease during these tests was BMW.
The propeller company has been grinding the tarmac intensively, with no fewer than 370 laps completed on the Daytona International Speedway. The M Hybrid V8s have consistently remained on the podium and even set the best overall time through Dries Vanthoor in 1:35.424. I am happy with how the Roar went., rejoices the Belgian. It’s nice to know that everything is going well and the car is performing well, but of course all that matters is next weekend. That’s when the winners will be crowned and that’s when we need to be there. »
The same goes for Marco Wittmann, even if the German displays certain ambitions: " We can be very satisfied with the Roar sessions. We have ticked a lot of boxes on our to-do list, so this week we will be able to focus on set-up. The aim is to be well prepared for the first big event of the season and hopefully to compete for the podium and the win. Our performance at the Roar was encouraging, but we all know that it really counts in racing. »
Magnussen discovers the BMW M Hybrid V8
The Roar was also an opportunity for Kevin Magnussen to discover the piloting of proto-Germanic. We had a very productive few days of testing at the Roar, says the Dane. I have a lot to learn at BMW M Motorsport and I feel more comfortable with every lap on the track. This week is the big test that will allow us to show how strong we are compared to our competitors. I am really looking forward to it. »
Will the BMWs be there to sign a big result at the 24 Hours of Daytona? In case of success, the propeller firm would win for only the second time at the event after its 1976 title. That year, Peter Gregg, Brian Redman and John Fitzpatrick saw the checkered flag as winners with a BMW 3.0 CSL. A victory on Sunday would be a nice surprise for the German manufacturer which is coming off a complicated season in the North American championship despite the revival of Indianapolis where the two cars had signed a one-two, the only two podiums for the team in IMSA during the previous season.
The crews have also been revised for this new year. In addition to the significant reinforcement of Kevin Magnussen who will be associated with Philipp Eng, Dries Vanthoor and Raffaele Marciello in the n°24, it is above all the n°25 which has undergone a major overhaul. Only René Rast is still present compared to last January, while Connor De Philippi, Nick Yelloly and Maxime Martin have respectively been replaced by Marco Wittmann, Sheldon van der Linde and Robin Frijns.
The 2025 edition of the 24 Hours of Daytona will start on Saturday at 19:40 p.m. (French time).
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