BMW has achieved a spectacular reaction to seal a surprising victory in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) with its M Hybrid, taking the win in the Six Hours of Sao Paulo ahead of Ferrari, thereby consolidating its position in the battle for the Hypercar category title.
The trio composed of Kevin Magnussen, Raffaele Marciello, and Dries Vanthoor dominated much of the race with car number 15, only losing the lead in the antepenultimate hour when Vanthoor made a mistake, allowing James Calado and the Ferrari 499P number 51 to take over.
Nonetheless, the key to victory was BMW’s better fuel management, which allowed it to make a shorter pit stop in the final hour. Vanthoor, despite feeling unwell over the radio, regained the lead and crossed the finish line with just 2.2 seconds advantage over the Ferrari, with the expected rain never making an appearance.
At the start of the race, Will Stevens led the grid from pole with Cadillac number 12, while Magnussen moved up to second position in front of Cadillac number 38 with Earl Bamber.
BMW took the lead after the Jota vehicles encountered issues during the early stops, including an incident with a wheel. The two Alpine A424s emerged as dangerous competitors, but BMW continued to close the gap with the #35, which ultimately suffered a puncture.
In the fourth hour, Marciello managed to close in on Habsburg’s teammate, Antonio Felix da Costa, with Alessandro Pier Guidi from Ferrari 51 also getting involved in the group. Marciello was unable to pass da Costa on track and only managed to overtake him when he entered the pits.
In the next round of stops, Vanthoor took over from Magnussen, and Calado came in with #51 with a noticeable reaction upon leaving the pits that caused the Ferrari to brush the advertising barrier. This incident did not cost much time, but when Vanthoor stepped outside the track limits, Calado zipped by like lightning.
With one hour remaining, the Ferrari entered the pits, while the BMW, with more fuel, continued its strategy and returned to the track leading the race. Calado had to manage fuel in his last stint, which limited him in his pursuit of Vanthoor.
The podium was completed by Cadillac number 12, which finished third. The car received a five-second penalty due to an incident with a GT car. BMW number 20 finished in sixth place after a closely contested competition, while Ferrari, with car number 50, experienced problems and finished in eighth position.
In a difficult day for Toyota, which had just secured its sixth victory at Le Mans, its vehicle failed to score points, ending in twelfth place. The debutants in the Hypercar category, Genesis, managed to finish in eleventh place with a hook for excessive infractions.
BMW’s victory in Sao Paulo marks its second podium finish in three races, giving a new boost to its season in the WEC.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
