BMW M Motorsport is restructuring its prototype racing efforts, handing full responsibility for both FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship programs to BMW M Team WRT beginning in 2026.
WRT Expands into IMSA
The Belgian outfit, led by team principal Vincent Vosse, will take over IMSA operations from Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLL), which has partnered with BMW for 17 years. WRT will run the latest version of the BMW M Hybrid V8 across the full IMSA schedule, including endurance and sprint events.
The first appearance with the updated car is set for the official IMSA test at Daytona in November 2025. To support the program, WRT is setting up a permanent base in Charlotte, North Carolina, which will house the IMSA side of the operation. While WRT has raced at the Rolex 24 At Daytona in GT machinery before, this marks its first full-season IMSA campaign.
End of the RLL Era
The switch closes a long chapter with RLL. The team has been central to BMW’s American racing presence since 2007, winning in GTLM and more recently fielding the M Hybrid V8 in IMSA’s GTP category. BMW Motorsport boss Andreas Roos thanked RLL for its long service:
“Together with BMW M Team WRT, we are pooling our strengths to achieve even greater success in both the FIA WEC and the IMSA series. I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank BMW M Team RLL for their outstanding efforts over the past three years in our GTP programme and for their loyalty to our brand over 17 years.”
Vosse’s Long-Term Goal
For Vosse, the IMSA move is the fulfillment of an ambition: “I have never made it a secret that we are very interested in competing in the IMSA series. This wish is now becoming a reality. In the past, we have participated in the GT category at the 24 Hours of Daytona, but we have never contested the full season. We are facing a great challenge, but our team has gained a lot of experience worldwide over the past ten years, and we feel ready for this challenge.”
Driver Lineup to Be Announced at a Later Date
With WRT running both programs, BMW’s Hypercar effort becomes more streamlined. Driver lineups for the 2026 season have yet to be confirmed, but the Daytona test later this year will mark the first outing of the revised M Hybrid V8 in WRT’s hands.
