WRT BMW, Groves impress in Dubai 24 Hour
Team WRT have enjoyed the best possible debut as a BMW factory team, claiming victory in the Dubai 24 Hours endurance race in the United Arab Emirates.
It comes as the squad comes to Mount Panorama in three weeks with a pair of BMW M4 GT3s for the 2023 LIQUI MOLY Bathurst 12 Hour.
WRT finished first and third in the race, defending their 2022 victory, while Australian outfit Grove Racing finished fourth outright to improve two spots on their sixth-placed effort last year.
The #7 WRT entry driven by Mohammed Bin Saud Al Saud, Diego Menchaca, Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer, Jens Klingmann and 2018 12 Hour winner Dries Vanthoor claimed a stunning victory in the around-the-clock classic.
Vanthoor will lead the team's 12 Hour attack in a few weeks alongside Sheldon van der Linde and Charles Weerts.
The race was an arm-wrestle between the lead WRT BMW and the Herberth Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3R, with the lead only changing hands in the final 45 minutes after the Porsche was forced to pit lane for a fuel stop.
The winning WRT BMW Pic: WRT
They ultimately claimed victory by just over 30 seconds in one of the closest Dubai 24 Hours on record.
The race was designed as a way for the team to come to grips with the BMW platform - following years of Audi support - however ultimately delivered an enormous result.
"The challenge was big. We know how difficult this race can be. you need a it of luck, strategy, faultless from the drivers," said Team WRT CEO Vincent Vosse.
"We are leading a lot, we did learn a lot, lets go to the next one. The next one is off to Australia, will be our first official race I would say for the BMW, lets see what we can do there.
"This was a great achievement."
Ahead of his Bathurst debut next month, Valentino Rossi helped the #46 BMW to third position alongside co pilots Sean Galeal, Maxime Martin, Tim Whale and Max Hesse.
The third-placed Rossi BMW Pic: WRT
The second WRT BMW finished three laps behind their teammates and one lap clear of the Grove Racing Porsche in fourth.
Rossi will race with Maxime Martin and Augusto Farfus at Mount Panorama, giving both cars a strong chance at victory.
The Australian entry, running in conjunction with Earl Bamber Motorsport, was a contender throughout the race and hovered around the top five for much of its duration.
A late surge from Supercars ace Anton de Pasquale saw them climb to fourth within the final three hours before Bamber brought the car - shared with Stephen and Brenton Grove - home.
The team finished sixth outright last year, with de Pasquale to be joined by the Grove father-son combination on the Mountain as they tackle a sixth class win on the Mountain, racing in the Bausele Pro-Am class.
Audi finished fifth with HAAS RT with the German marques sweeping the top 10 positions outright.
Tickets for the 2023 LIQUI MOLY Bathurst 12 Hour are on sale now on Ticketek.com.
