BMW M Motorsport Retains Driver Line-Up for 2026 Season Across Key Championships
BMW M Motorsport has confirmed that it will retain its eight works drivers for the 2026 season, continuing their involvement with the newly redesigned BMW M Hybrid V8 in both the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
The driver roster includes Philipp Eng, Robin Frijns, Kevin Magnussen, Raffaele Marciello, René Rast, Sheldon van der Linde, Dries Vanthoor, and Marco Wittmann. Notably, Vanthoor and van der Linde will compete in both series, with an exception for the IMSA Grand Prix of Long Beach, which conflicts with the WEC 6 Hours of Imola.
In the WEC, Team WRT will maintain its driver pairings: the No. 15 BMW will feature Magnussen, Marciello, and Vanthoor, while the No. 20 BMW will consist of Frijns, Rast, and van der Linde.
For IMSA, Eng, Wittmann, Vanthoor, and van der Linde will race full-time with WRT, after transitioning from Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing in 2025. This year, Vanthoor and van der Linde will team up in the No. 24 BMW, while Eng joins Wittmann in the No. 25 BMW.
Additionally, Frijns and Magnussen will participate in select Michelin Endurance Cup rounds, with Rast and Marciello rounding out the line-ups for the Rolex 24 at Daytona in January.
Andreas Roos, Head of BMW M Motorsport, emphasized the importance of consistency in the driver line-up. “We are very satisfied with the performance of all eight drivers, and there is no reason to make major changes,” Roos stated. He added that as drivers gain more experience with the BMW M Hybrid V8, their collective progress is crucial for the development of the LMDh project.
“For 2026, we will race with an updated car and a new team in the IMSA Series. Maintaining continuity on the driver side is vital, and I look forward to continuing this collaboration,” Roos concluded.
