The updated M Hybrid V8 GTP cars made their first appearance in the US in official IMSA-sanctioned testing at Daytona this weekend. It was also the first event where BMW M Team WRT is running the show in GTP after years of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLL) campaigning the cars.
The WRT team had both the #24 and #25 M Hybrid V8s at Daytona, and factory drivers Robin Frijns, Rene Rast, Kevin Magnussen, Dries Vanthoor, Philipp Eng and Marco Wittmann were there to drive them. All of those drivers have prior experience racing the GTP cars in both IMSA and the FIA WEC series.
The M Hybrid V8s are sporting new bodywork for the 2026 season, most obviously at the front end which features a new splitter, smaller kidney grilles and revised headlights. The goal of all the updates is to make the car more consistent through a driving stint by optimizing the aero on the cars. Porsche, Acura and Cadillac were also there with cars that had updated aerodynamics, though none were as extensive as the BMWs.
You can’t really read too much into the lap times at test days like this, since teams may be on test programs that test different components and systems rather than trying to set the fastest laps. That being said, the BMWs were first and second fastest in the night test session on Saturday with Marco Wittmann setting the fastest time followed by Dries Vanthoor.
Marco Wittmann gets ready.
GT class cars were also testing, with the Paul Miller Racing #1 M4 GT3 EVO the sole BMW that was present. After some speculation that Paul Miller would switch to a different manufacturer for 2026, this confirms that they will be back in GTD Pro with BMW, though they’ll be running only one car rather than two as they did in 2025. Works drivers Dan Harper, Max Hesse, Connor De Phillippi and Neil Verhagen were all there driving the M4 GT3. All GTD Pro and GTD teams at Daytona were testing Michelin’s new Pilot Sport Pro GT H1+ tire, which will be used in 2026.
Team RLL, who had run BMW racing programs for the last seventeen years, including the GTP cars, was at Daytona testing a McLaren 720S GT3 EVO under the RLL Team McLaren name. The team will contest the GTD Pro class in 2026. RLL was also graciously providing some support to the WRT team at Daytona, since it was WRTs first foray into IMSA.
The IMSA “Roar Before the 24” test days will be held a week before the Rolex 24 at Daytona in January. IMSA will also hold a sanctioned test at Sebring in mid-February, a month before the 12 Hours of Sebring race in mid-March.
—David Haueter
[Photos courtesy LAT Images]
