BMW M Team RLL names its driver roster for Rolex 24
BMW Motorsport
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Richard S. James | January 11, 2022 12:17 PM ET
BMW M Team RLL has announced its line-up for the season opener of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship 2022, with each new BMW M4 GT3 featuring a quartet of BMW M works drivers doing battle for the podium in the new-for-2022 GTD Pro class.
In the No. 25 MOTUL BMW M4 GT3, Connor De Phillippi, John Edwards (both USA), Augusto Farfus (BRA) and Jesse Krohn (FIN) will take turns at the wheel; in the No. 24 car, Philipp Eng (AUT), Sheldon van der Linde (RSA), Marco Wittmann (GER) and Nick Yelloly (GBR) will be in action.
“It hasn’t even been two months since we bid farewell to the BMW M8 GTE at Petit Le Mans, and we’re already in the critical phase of preparing for the first major IMSA highlight for the new BMW M4 GT3,” said Mike Krack, head of BMW M Motorsport.
“With our drivers who will be competing in the two BMW M Team RLL BMW M4 GT3s, we have opted for speed and experience – both at Daytona and with the new car. Almost all of our BMW M works drivers have already contested the 24 Hours of Daytona and will be working together to find the perfect set-up for the BMW M4 GT3 at the International Speedway during the ‘Roar before the 24’ already. I am confident that we will be very well prepared going into the GTD Pro premiere of the IMSA series. I’m also looking forward to seeing how Turner Motorsport fares in the GTD class.”
More IMSA!
Six of the eight drivers who will compete at Daytona (USA) also contested the endurance classic in the BMW M8 GTE in 2021. New to the team for the Rolex 24 are van der Linde and Yelloly. However, they have both already been in action in the IMSA series. Van der Linde contested the GTD class of the 24-hour race in 2018, so is familiar with the Daytona track. Yelloly drove Turner Motorsport’s BMW M6 GT3 in Sebring in 2020.
Krohn and van der Linde will only be racing for BMW M Team RLL at Daytona, while the other six drivers will also share the cockpits of the two BMW M4 GT3s at the 12 Hours of Sebring in March.
BMW Team RLL’s two GTD Pro cars will be joined int he GTD category by Turner Motorsport, also campaigning a new BMW M4 GT3. Bill Auberlen, Robby Foley, Michael Dinan and BMW M works driver Jens Klingmann will share the No. 96 car.