Team WRT Unveils State-of-the-Art Headquarters as Focus Shifts to WEC at Spa
Liege, Belgium – Team WRT’s newly inaugurated headquarters sets a bold stage for the future of its motorsport ambitions. Co-founder Vincent Vosse heralded the facility’s opening, stating, “the previous chapter is over and we start again. Can you imagine not winning from here?”
With the state-of-the-art headquarters operational, WRT now eyes the upcoming 6 Hours of Spa, aiming for the BMW M Hybrid V8’s first overall victory in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) following a strong second-place finish at Imola last month.
However, the vehicle’s Balance of Performance (BoP) introduces challenges, adding 7 kg to race weight and reducing maximum power by 10 kW at speeds above 250 kph compared to Imola. Rene Rast, driver of the #20 car, acknowledged the team’s previous challenges: “Last time we were clearly not the fastest car; Ferrari were faster. But we made the best of our package.”
Despite these hurdles, improved confidence surrounds Team WRT. Raffaele Marciello, driving the #15, noted changes since the introduction of the braking-focused Evo Joker: “Everyone feels more confident in the car… it’s just easier to control.” The team’s strides over the past year have made the M Hybrid V8 more driver-friendly, alleviating issues that plagued them previously.
The driver lineup has been trimmed from six to four due to conflicts with the IMSA weekend at Laguna Seca, resulting in the absence of top driver Dries Vanthoor. Kevin Magnussen and Raffaele Marciello will pilot the #15, while Robin Frijns and Rene Rast will share duties in the #20. Marciello remarked, “It gives Kevin and me an opportunity to show we can do what Dries is doing… If we do well, then we don’t want him back!”
As Team WRT races on home turf, the stakes are high. Rast emphasized their commitment: “We’re trying to maximize every weekend… if we can win here, we will push for it.” While the championship looms, immediate success remains the team’s priority as they gear up for a critical weekend at Spa.
