After a historic Nürburgring triumph, BMW’s push for another 24-hour endurance victory comes up just short in Spa. The 2025 CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps has come to a close—and while BMW M Motorsport arrived in the Ardennes with high hopes and momentum, the final result left the team with mixed emotions. Following their sensational overall win at the Nürburgring just one week earlier, BMW’s factory squads from ROWE Racing and Team WRT didn’t score a podium in Spa. Their dreams unraveled in the closing stages of an exciting race.
BMW’s Third 24-Hour Race in Three Weeks
The #98 ROWE Racing BMW, featuring Nürburgring-winning drivers Augusto Farfus, Jesse Krohn, and Raffaele Marciello, had one of the most dramatic weekends of all. They climbed into the lead during a perfectly timed yellow flag phase and remained in contention for a top-three finish for most of the night. In the final hour, a series of track limits infractions resulted in a 30-second post-race penalty for Marciello, demoting the car from third to fifth place. Despite this, Farfus emerged from Spa with an important consolation: he now leads the Intercontinental GT Challenge (IGTC) drivers’ standings outright.
The #998 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, sporting the eye-catching “GEN M” livery, also appeared destined for a strong finish. Piloted by Philipp Eng, Dan Harper, and Max Hesse, the car ran within the top three for much of the event. But a poorly timed yellow flag period cost them valuable track position, and a suspension failure near the end forced an untimely retirement. They came in the 29th place.
For Belgian outfit Team WRT, Spa was a home race—and a hard-fought one. The #32 BMW M4 GT3 EVO of Ugo de Wilde, Charles Weerts, and Kelvin van der Linde finished a respectable seventh, followed closely by the #31 car of Sheldon van der Linde, Dries Vanthoor, and Marco Wittmann in eighth. Technical setbacks and mid-race repairs cost the #31 crew a lap, but their resilience salvaged solid points.
Further down the order, the high-profile #46 entry made headlines with Kevin Magnussen’s GT3 debut. The former F1 driver joined forces with motorsport legend Valentino Rossi and seasoned pro René Rast. While not in podium contention, their 11th-place finish was a credible showing for a first-time trio.
Silver-Class Success for Century Motorsport
While the factory-backed cars fell short of the top three, BMW still claimed a podium in the Silver class. The #42 BMW M4 GT3 EVO from Century Motorsport, driven by Jarrod Waberski, Will Moore, and Mex Jansen, clinched third in class—bringing home silverware for the British team in a crowded 74-car field.
Lamborghini ultimately stole the spotlight at Spa, claiming a long-awaited first overall victory in the event’s GT3 era thanks to Grasser Racing Team’s Mirko Bortolotti, Jordan Pepper, and Luca Engstler. Porsche followed closely, ending BMW’s recent Intercontinental GT Challenge winning streak. The Ferrari factory effort secured third after BMW’s penalty, with Alessandro Pier Guidi, Alessio Rovera, and Vincent Abril capitalizing late in the race.
