BMW confirms WEC exit after 24 Hours of Le Mans
BMW has confirmed it will🐷 leave the FIA World Endurance Championship following next month's 24 Hours of Le Mans, ending its involvement after just a single season.
BMW returned to t🐈he WEC for the 2018-19 'super season' with its newܫ BMW M8 GTE car, which made its debut in the championship at last year's 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps.
However, the German marque has struggled to compete with rivals Porsche, Ferrari, Aston Martin and Ford on a regular basis, scoring just two podium finishes through th🎉e seven rounds so far this season.
BMW has confirmed it will leave the FIA World Enduranꦗce Championship following next month's 24 Hours of Le Mans, ending its involvement after just a single season.
BMW returned to the WEC for the 20ꦬ18-19 'super season' with its new BMW M8 GTE car, which made its debut in the championship at last year's 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps.
However, the German marque has struggled to compete with rivals Po𒈔r💛sche, Ferrari, Aston Martin and Ford on a regular basis, scoring just two podium finishes through the seven rounds so far this season.
It had long been rumoured t🐎o be considering a closure of its WEC programme in order to focus on other racing activities, including Formula E, with confirmation arriving on Wednesda൲y morning.
"The range of activities in BMW i Motorsport and BMW M Motorsport will remai🐽n broad i꧟n the future," a statement from BMW reads.
"With its involvement in the ABB FIA ꩵFormula E Championship, BMW demonstrates its electrification expertise and its claim as technological leader with the BMW i brand.
"On the other hand, the dynamics and the performance of BMW M cars remain paramount in the D꧃TM and in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
"As part of having a focus, BMW will bid farewell to the FIA World Endurance Champi💧onship at the end of the current ‘Super Season’. In customer racing, a new flagship ✱for the GT3 category is in the works."
BMW motorsport director Jens Mar𝔍quardt added: "We will not compete in WEC going forward. Therefore, the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June ℱwill be another highlight for us in drawing to a close – just like in 2018, when we celebrated the successful world premiere of the BMW 8 Series Coupe there.
"But in light of us sharpening our focus as part of our strategy for the future, continuing our WEC involv🉐ement in the coming years does not fit with our direction.
"The global presence of BMW M Mot🍸orsport is safeguarded by customer racing and the DTM in Asia and Europe, as well as the IMSA series in North America, even without competing in a world championship.
"We would like to thank BMW Team MTEK for its dedication over recent yea😼rs and we wish WEC all the best and hope that it makes good progress.⛄”
BMW joins Ford in departing the WEC's GTE-Pro class, leaving only Porsc🗹he, Ferrari and Aston Martin in place with facto⛎ry programmes for the 2019/20 season.
