The 24h Nürburgring, taking place on June 21 and 22, will be the setting for the BMW M2 Racing’s final major endurance test before its sales launch. The car has already completed over 30,000km of testing.
In this final major test, the car will compete in the SP3T class and be put through its paces by the drivers and team under the extreme conditions of an endurance race.
Belgian drivers Ugo de Wilde and Charles Weerts, along with German driver Jens Klingmann – who has been involved in the testing and development of the vehicle from the very beginning – will take the wheel as a trio of BMW M works drivers in the cockpit of the new entry-level model from BMW M Motorsport. They will be joined by Nürburgring racer and motorsport journalist Michael Bräutigam. The car will be fielded by FK Performance Motorsport.
FK Performance Motorsport oversaw the car’s debut at the first test race in the 2024 Nürburgring Endurance Series and will manage it again during the qualifiers and the 24-hour race this year. At the qualifiers this coming weekend, Weerts, de Wilde, and Bräutigam will take turns at the wheel, with Klingmann joining for the 24-hour race.
Björn Lellmann, head of customer racing at BMW M Motorsport, said, “With the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring, the intensive test and development phase of our new entry-level car, the BMW M2 Racing, comes to an end. For one final time, our works drivers will collect data and impressions to help us deliver a car to our customers that is as well-prepared as possible. The Eifel endurance race is the ultimate test of strength. I’m delighted that we can also give the media the exclusive opportunity to experience the car’s performance firsthand.”
De Wilde, said, “I can’t wait to be there. I did my permit on the Nordschleife this year and I really love the track. It is an amazing circuit and the atmosphere around there was already fantastic in NLS so I can’t wait to discover the 24–hour race and to compete there with the brand new BMW M2 Racing. It’s really excting; I’ve heard really good comments from Charles and the other drivers who have had the opportunity to test it already.”
Klingmann added, “The 24 Hours of Nürburgring marks the final major dress rehearsal for our BMW M2 Racing. We’ve completed a long and intensive testing and development phase and have covered a lot of kilometers. Now we’re especially looking forward to putting the car through its paces once more in race conditions, to ensure we can hand over a perfectly developed BMW M2 Racing to our customers. I believe we are very well prepared. We’ve simulated every scenario for all areas of use – whether on the Nordschleife, in other championships, or for track days. Of course, things are always a bit different in real race conditions. For example, you see how driver changes go, or whether everything is finalized on the software side. So this is truly the final big test before production begins.”
Weerts commented, “I can’t wait to be at the Nordschleife for a legendary race, the 24 hours. I’ve got lucky enough to be driving their last year with the BMW M4 GT3, with Max Hesse and Dan Harper, and we finished third on our first attempt together which is definitely a nice memory. This year we come back with a different approach and different goals. I will be sharing duties with Jens Klingmann, Ugo de Wilde and Michael Bräutigam in the new BMW M2 Racing where we will do our best for BMW M Motorsport to optimally develop this car for the customer in 2026. I am very much looking forward to see how this car will handle in the Green Hell and can’t wait to be there again.”
In related news, the BMW M2 Racing was officially presented to the public during the DTM season opener at Oschersleben in Germany on April 26. Click here to read the full story
