BMW M Team WRT takes historic 1-2 at 6 Hours of Spa

BMW M Team WRT made history last weekend at the 6 Hours of Spa, the Belgian team’s home race in the FIA World Endurance Championship. With a 1-2 finish in the Hypercar class, the team delivered one of its finest results ever.

Sheldon van der Linde, Robin Frijns and René Rast won in the #20 Shell BMW M Hybrid V8. Dries Vanthoor, Raffaele Marciello and Kevin Magnussen finished second in the #15. Both cars, one team, one result.

Started from P10 and P11

What makes this result extra special is where it started. Both Hypercars started from the back half of the grid. What followed was not a matter of luck. It was strategy, discipline and timing. With the #20, the team opted early for a bold pit stop strategy. That strategy paid off. The #15 later benefited from a pit stop under a Virtual Safety Car. Kevin Magnussen then kept his cool in a battle with the Ferrari that lasted until the very last corner.

The work you don’t see

That invisible work, that’s what Snap-on supports. As the technical partner of BMW M Team WRT, we provide the tools that the mechanics work with. During an endurance race, pit stops are not a routine job. Every action and every second counts. The mechanics in the pit box rely on tools that always perform, even under pressure.

We’re in the pissbox like almost every race, including this time at Spa-Francorchamps. We spoke with WRT’s mechanics about their work, their day and what goes into preparing a Hypercar for a six-hour race. Those conversations show how seriously this team takes its craft. From the engineers to the people doing the changes, everyone knows what their job is and performs it flawlessly.

A milestone that speaks for itself

BMW M Team WRT is now the first team in history to have won overall in Hypercar, LMP2 AND GT. Three years of intensive work by the Belgian team and the German manufacturer have led to this.

The victory also lifts the team to the head of the World Cup standings. And the next challenge is already planned. Before the 24 Hours of Le Mans in a month’s time, the team will also be at the start of the Spa 24 Hours Prologue, an IMSA race in Detroit and a GT race in Monza.

We are proud to be part of this story. Congratulations to the entire BMW M Team WRT team on this historic result.