The new BMW M8 GTE has been unveiled in its 2018 livery ahead of the 2018 FIA World Endurance Championship Prologue at Circuit Paul Ricard.
Racing under the BMW Team MTEK banner, the team will be taking on the LMGTE Pro class with Martin Tomczyk, Nick Catsburg and Philipp Eng racing in the #81 car and António Félix da Costa, Augusto Farfus, and Alexander Sims in the #82 car.
They will be joined by Tom Blomqvist who will stand in for Farfus when he is unavailable due to DTM commitments.
Credit: BMW Motorsport
“The countdown to our first season in the FIA WEC and our return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans is on.” said Jens Marquardt, BMW Motorsport Director. “The Prologue in Le Castellet marks another important step.
“That is where the team and the drivers will add the final polish to preparations before the first race appearance for the new BMW M8 GTE in Europe.
“The 30-hour test is a very special challenge for drivers and cars alike. The first encounter with the rest of the WEC field is sure to be interesting.”
Credit: BMW Motorsport
Ernest Knoors, Team Principal of BMW Team MTEK is eager to get the season underway, “Naturally, we know the car and what it is like working at the track, but the closer the actual races get, the more fun the job is.
“After all, we live to take on our rivals and try to do better than our competitors. Paul Ricard is a good first step, even though this kind of prologue is new to us because other championships don’t have this kind of thing.
“Our focus will still be on testing and on performing procedures as close as possible to those during race action so that the team is perfectly prepared in all areas for the first race at Spa-Francorchamps.”
Credit: BMW Motorsport
Martin Tomczyk added, “The prologue is the first official WEC event this year, and it also gives you a bit of a thrill, since it is something totally new for me and the team.
“We will be on the track with our rivals for the first time – and with the various classes – and will be testing for two days with everyone together.
“It is a good initial benchmark of where we are and a chance to get to know the WEC racing environment a bit better.”
Credit: BMW Motorsport
