WRT could replace Rahal Letterman Lanigan as BMW�...

The Belgian WRT group is within the working to develop its programme with the BMW M Hybrid V8 LMDh into the IMSA SportsCar Championship subsequent season. 

BMW’s consultant within the World Endurance Championship has revealed that it’s in negotiation to take over Rahal Letterman Lanigan‘s IMSA programme, after the German producer opted towards renewing its partnership with the US operation. 

“I feel BMW is speaking to completely different groups and we’re one among them,” mentioned WRT boss Vincent Vosse. “I’ve all the time been to race in IMSA when a chance is coming.”

Requested if WRT might put the mandatory construction in place to run a GTP marketing campaign in 2026, Vosse replied: “We might do it for subsequent yr if the chance is coming.”

BMW is but to elaborate on its IMSA plans for what can be the fourth season for the M Hybrid in North America. All that’s confirmed to this point is that the German model is ending its relationship with the group of three-time CART champion Bobby Rahal, which started in 2009. 

A short assertion from BWM learn: “We affirm that we’ve determined to not prolong our contract with BMW M Workforce RLL for the GTP programme. 

“In the mean time we aren’t on the level the place we’re capable of announce our 2026 programme, as a result of we’re nonetheless within the strategy of defining it. We are going to make an announcement sooner or later.”

The choice to drop Rahal, which has solely received twice in two-and-a-half seasons with the M Hybrid, comes towards a backdrop of rumours that BMW might downscale and even axe its GTP programme.

However BMW M Motorsport boss Andreas Roos burdened on the Le Mans 24 Hours WEC spherical in June that the marque stays dedicated to racing within the prime class of the IMSA collection.

“Clearly we need to proceed in IMSA and in the mean time there isn’t any cause why we wouldn’t proceed there,” he mentioned. 

He burdened that nothing needs to be learn into its failure to announce a agency programme and that it was going by the “regular processes”. 

BMW has already introduced its twin LMDh programmes nearer collectively for 2025 with the position of WEC regulars Dries Vanthoor and Sheldon van der Linde at Rahal for the complete season. 

#24 BMW M Workforce RLL BMW M Hybrid V8: Philipp Eng, Dries Vanthoor

Photograph by: Jake Galstad / Lumen through Getty Photographs

Roos acknowledged on the announcement of its 2025 line-ups: “The objective is to accentuate the event of the BMW M Hybrid V8 in collaboration with the specialists on the groups and at BMW M Motorsport.” 

He added that having two of the drivers racing in each arenas would “enhance the trade of data”.

WRT’s earlier IMSA appearances got here on the Daytona 24 Hours in 2019 and 2020, when it completed third in GT Daytona fielding an Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo along side Canadian entrant Speedstar Motorsports.

Rahal’s relationship with BMW stretches again to 2009 and a marketing campaign with the M3 GT2 within the American Le Mans Collection.

The partnership straddled an additional 4 fashions — the Z4 GTE, M6 GTLM, M8 GTE and M4 GT3 — previous to the transfer as much as the prototype ranks with the M Hybrid. 

BMW acknowledged that it’s in talks with Rahal over different initiatives, that are understood to incorporate taking care of its heritage fleet of racing vehicles.