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IMSA Road America: Strong performance by the BMW M Hybrid V8 goes unrewarded.

What happened
Based on BMW Group PressClub · Aug 02, 2026

BMW M Team WRT’s two BMW M Hybrid V8s retired or finished seventh in the IMSA Road America race after cooling and brake issues, leaving the squad without a 2026 win so far.

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IMSA Road America: Strong performance by the BMW M Hybrid V8 goes unrewarded.
BMW Group PressClub — BMW
Key points
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Cooling problems dropped Marco Wittmann (GER) and Philipp Eng (AUT) in the #25 car back to seventh place.
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Sheldon van der Linde (RSA) and Dries Vanthoor (BEL) led the six-hour race in the first half, but then had to retire due to brake issues.
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They attracted attention not only with their sporting performance, but also with the special design of their #24 BMW M Hybrid V8: BMW M Motorsport has teamed up with Spider-Man: Brand New Day to create a striking special livery for Road America.
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Van der Linde secured third place on the grid in Saturday’s qualifying.

BMW M Team WRT’s two BMW M Hybrid V8s were competitive at Road America but retired or finished seventh after technical failures. The #25 car dropped to seventh due to persistent cooling problems, while the #24 entry led early but retired after brake failure. Both cars had shown strong pace before the issues arose.

BMW M Motorsport head Andreas Roos expressed disappointment that strong weekend performances were not rewarded with a finish. He noted the cars have been reliable overall but vowed to analyze the failures ahead of the remaining two races, aiming to secure at least one victory. Team Principal Vincent Vosse acknowledged good pace but emphasized the need to finish races without errors.

Driver Philipp Eng (#25) described the race as a series of missed opportunities despite the car’s strong pace. Cooling issues forced a lengthy repair stop, costing two laps and a potential podium finish. Eng acknowledged technical problems are part of racing but regretted the outcome for the team.

Driver Dries Vanthoor (#24) recounted a strong start that unraveled after pit stops and a restart incident. The team recovered with a bold strategy, but brake failure led to a safe retirement while leading. Vanthoor emphasized safety concerns over continuing with compromised brakes on the fast circuit.

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