BMW M Team WRT returns to the Bathurst 12 Hour for a second time with the BMW M4 GT3 in 2024 with plenty of headline-grabbing potential from the Belgian super-team and their two-car effort.
There will be plenty of focus on the second shot at the race from MotoGP legend, and now BMW factory GT driver Valentino Rossi in the #46 BMW. That focus will become all the sharper as Rossi is joined in the car not only by Maxime Martin but also by Raffaele Marciello, his first race in BMW M Motorsport colours after leaving Mercedes AMG at the end of 2023.
The sister #32 BMW M4 GT3 sees another trio of factory drivers with Sheldon van der Linde, Dries Vanthoor and Charles Weerts reprising the crew that came home fourth in the 2023 race.
Andreas Roos (Head of BMW M Motorsport): “The Bathurst 12 Hour is a spectacular event to start the year with, and we are delighted to field another strong line-up in Australia in 2024. Together with BMW M Team WRT, we enjoyed many fantastic successes in our first season. Unfortunately, we were denied a Bathurst podium. We obviously want to make amends for that this time. With our driver line-up, I believe we are in an excellent position to enjoy a strong race. I am particularly looking forward to seeing Raffaele Marciello in a BMW M4 GT3 for the first time.”
Vincent Vosse (Team Principal BMW M Team WRT): “What an event to kick off our second season with BMW M Motorsport! We are very much looking forward to returning to Bathurst; this will be our third start there. After taking victory on our debut, we were unfortunately unable to challenge for first place again last year. We are now back for another shot with a fantastic squad of drivers.”
Raffaele Marciello (#46 BMW M4 GT3): “Bathurst is a very special place for me – the perfect first race with BMW M Motorsport. I love the circuit and have come very close to winning on a few occasions. Unfortunately, it has never quite worked out so far. However, I believe I have a good chance to change all that this year with BMW M Team WRT. WRT is one of the best teams in the world, and my team-mates Maxime and Valentino are extremely quick. Sharing the car with Vale is very special for me. I watched him in MotoGP when I was a kid.”
