Rene Rast and Robin Frijns of BMW M Team WRT stated they did not anticipate leading the FIA World Endurance Championship’s Hypercar standings as the 24 Hours of Le Mans approached.
Rast and Frijns sit in the No. 20 BMW M Hybrid V8, a car that also featured Sheldon van der Linde in Spa-Francorchamps’ breakthrough top-class win for BMW, a 1-2 result for the Belgian-operated squad on its home soil.
Rast indicated there is considerable confidence, telling Sportscar365 that arriving in Le Mans with a victory already secured is encouraging; it marks BMW’s first win in this WEC project, yet Le Mans remains a wholly different challenge.
He noted that the race is significantly longer and that the team hopes to replicate the Spa performance in this coming event.
When asked whether he expected to reach the top of the championship so early in the season, Rast admitted that achieving those targets ahead of schedule was not anticipated.
He explained that the program has defined goals for the year—such as securing race wins and leading the standings—but reaching them so soon was not expected at the outset.
He added that it’s gratifying, and the next step is to build on the momentum and press forward.
Frijns, meanwhile, emphasized the importance of focusing fully on Le Mans, where double points are on offer, a race at which the team has shown speed but encountered issues in its two prior Hypercar campaigns.
He remarked it’s positive to head to Le Mans as the championship leader displayed on the car, but noted that Qatar’s result means only two rounds have counted rather than three.
He added that Imola started well with a fifth-place finish and Spa was particularly strong, suggesting overall progress appears solid.
He recalled that two years ago they started well but ended the year with issues, and indicated those problems seem to have been resolved this time around.
Overall, Frijns felt the outfit is more prepared than in the previous two seasons and more confident than in 2023, despite last year’s night-time problems while contending with the Toyotas.
He remembered finishing around P5 and P6, contesting those slots, with Ferrari clearly ahead of the field.
He added that advancing by a notch could put them in contention for a podium finish.
Rast explained that a combination of factors must align to achieve success at the French endurance classic.
He stressed that pace is central at Le Mans, while acknowledging that luck can play a role as the race itself can dictate opportunities.
He added that avoiding penalties, incidents, and technical problems is essential, with many factors needing to align.
He concluded that maintaining a clean race is the top priority, with the final position determined only after the event unfolds.
He affirmed the primary objective is to complete Le Mans, aiming for the best possible final placing.
Asked about the M Hybrid V8’s aerodynamic updates for 2026, Rast echoed van der Linde’s optimism, stating the enhancements should yield solid performance on the 8.5-mile Circuit de la Sarthe.
He noted that every manufacturer tunes their car for Le Mans, including BMW, adding that an aerodynamic update was introduced; while the team has struggled at other venues, they hope Le Mans will showcase their strengths.
He described development as placing the car in the optimal window for the marquee events, and expressed hope that BMW is well positioned.
Stephen Lickorish contributed to this report
