BMW M Motorsport is keeping all eight of its Hypercar works drivers for the 2026 season, covering both the FIA World Endurance Championship and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The names stay the same, but the structure around the program changes next year as BMW M Team WRT replaces Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing in IMSA and the updated BMW M Hybrid V8 makes its race debut.
The returning drivers are Philipp Eng, Robin Frijns, Kevin Magnussen, Raffaele Marciello, René Rast, Sheldon van der Linde, Dries Vanthoor, and Marco Wittmann. Vanthoor and van der Linde continue as full-season drivers in both championships, while Eng and Wittmann remain assigned to the IMSA effort — now under WRT’s management.
Updated BMW M Hybrid V8 Set for 2026
BMW’s 2026 Hypercar season begins with a revised version of the M Hybrid V8. Nearly half the bodywork has been redesigned, including a narrower front end, reworked side sections, new lighting, and an aerodynamic package developed with Dallara to improve stability and cooling. Early tests at Daytona showed a more predictable balance and improved drivability, especially in traffic. The car will also run on a new generation of Michelin endurance tires, which required additional setup work during testing.
WRT Begins Its First IMSA Season With BMW
2026 marks a major shift on the IMSA side as BMW M Team WRT takes over operations of the M Hybrid V8 program in North America. The Belgian team already runs BMW’s WEC effort and now oversees both championships, ending BMW’s long partnership with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing in IMSA. The Daytona test for the updated M Hybrid V8 was WRT’s first time managing the IMSA operation.
No Changes to WEC Lineups
BMW is keeping the same FIA WEC driver pairings used in 2025.
FIA WEC – #15 BMW M Hybrid V8
- Kevin Magnussen
- Raffaele Marciello
- Dries Vanthoor
FIA WEC – #20 BMW M Hybrid V8
- Robin Frijns
- René Rast
- Sheldon van der Linde
IMSA Lineups Adjusted Under WRT
With WRT taking over in IMSA, BMW is making small adjustments to its pairing structure for 2026.
IMSA – #24 BMW M Hybrid V8
- Sheldon van der Linde (full season)
- Dries Vanthoor (full season)
- Robin Frijns (endurance races)
- René Rast (Daytona 24)
IMSA – #25 BMW M Hybrid V8
- Philipp Eng (full season)
- Marco Wittmann (full season)
- Kevin Magnussen (endurance races)
- Raffaele Marciello (Daytona 24)
