The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season opener is coming up in two weeks with the Rolex 24 at Daytona, and BMW M Team RLL has announced the drivers that will race the pair of M Hybrid V8 prototypes in the GTP class for the 2024 season.
Connor De Phillippi and Nick Yelloly were in the running for the GTP drivers’ championship right up through the end of the 2023 season and will be together again in the #25 car this year. They will be joined at the Rolex 24 by Maxime Martin and René Rast, and Martin will be the third driver in the car for the other Michelin Endurance Cup (MEC) rounds at Sebring and Road Atlanta. “I am very excited to return with BMW M Motorsport in the IMSA GTP category,” said De Phillippi. “This is actually my first year having the same team-mate two years in a row, so I am excited to continue our relationship together and execute a hopefully perfect season and continue fighting for another championship in 2024.”
Philipp Eng will once again be a full season driver in the #24 car, but Jesse Krohn will be his season-long teammate, replacing Augusto Farfus. Krohn has a lot of experience on IMSA tracks, as he competed here from 2018 through 2021 in the M8 GTE. Farfus (who will also be racing an M4 GT3 in the full FIA WEC season) will be the third driver with Eng and Krohn in the other MEC races at Sebring and Road Atlanta and they will be joined by Dries Vanthoor at Daytona. “I’ve never waited for any season as much as I have for the 2024 one,” said Krohn. “This is truly a special opportunity for me, and I can’t be more grateful to BMW M Motorsport for putting their trust in me. I always enjoyed racing in the US and everybody at BMW M Team RLL is like my second family there so it’s really exciting to go back there and team up with Philipp for the full IMSA season.”
Head of BMW M Motorsport Andreas Roos is confident in the crew of drivers lined up for the 2024 IMSA season. “We were happy with the first season with the BMW M Hybrid V8 in the GTP class of the IMSA series – particularly given the difficult preparations,” he said. “Despite that, there is obviously plenty of room for improvement when we take the next important step towards our goal to be constantly in contention for race wins and fight for the title in our second season. Our drivers will play a big role in this, and we believe we have found a good balance, with a mix of continuity and fresh impulses. Jesse Krohn is the only newcomer among the regular drivers. He has a wealth of experience in the IMSA series and impressed us in his test outings in the BMW M Hybrid V8. We are convinced that he and Philipp Eng will complement each other nicely. In the #25 car, Connor De Phillippi and Nick Yelloly have proved to be a strong and successful duo. Augusto Farfus, Maxime Martin, Dries Vanthoor and René Rast have all gained experience in our LMDh car and are very strong additions in races for the Michelin Endurance Cup, the profile of which has been raised once again.” —David Haueter
[Photos courtesy BMW and by David Haueter]