THIRD PLACE FINISH FOR #46 IN SPECTACULAR BATHURST 12 HOUR

Team WRT headed back to Mount Panorama to kick off the Intercontinental GT Challenge season, arriving as the reigning Bathurst winners after last year’s memorable 1–2 finish. The race quickly turned into one of the most unpredictable and incident‑filled editions of the Bathurst 12 Hour in recent years, played out in front of a record crowd of 55,231 spectators. Augusto Farfus, Raffaele Marciello, and Valentino Rossi drove the #46 BMW M4 GT3 EVO from P7 to a strong and well‑deserved third place. Meanwhile, the BMW #32 of Jordan Pepper, Kelvin van der Linde, and Charles Weerts, starting P12 and thrown into recovery mode after early drama, fought their way back brilliantly and put themselves back in the fight for the win until a late incident stopped their momentum.

At 5:45, with the sun just rising over Mount Panorama, the race got underway and the opening laps set the tone for what became an exceptionally eventful race. The #32, running a special Ken Done tribute livery inspired by the 1989 BMW M3 Art Car, suffered immediate damage after a first‑lap contact with another competitor. Two laps later, the car ran over a dead kangaroo, that had just been hit by another car. These two events forced the car into the pits for a complete front‑nose replacement. From there, the crew began a steady fightback, gradually regaining ground and making the most of the numerous caution periods. With 3h40 remaining, the event was red‑flagged following a significant accident: the Porsche #77 had come to a stop on the racing line in a narrow section of the track and was subsequently hit by a Mercedes. The resulting interruption reshaped strategic approaches and changed the race dynamics.

Relying on the team’s strategic expertise, it was time for Charles, Jordan, and Kelvin to fight their way back into the leading group. Indeed, the final phase of the race delivered the biggest twist. The crew committed to an early last refuel, betting on another Safety Car to reset the field. The gamble worked perfectly. When the caution came, the #32 cycled into the lead, and at the final restart, the BMW M4 GT3 EVO was back at the front. That was an outstanding comeback for a car that had been more than a lap down earlier in the race. Unfortunately, with just over an hour remaining and in the heat of the battle for the lead, the #32 was involved in a collision with a Mercedes. The damage forced an additional stop, dropping the car to P12 at the finish, a heartbreaking outcome after such an impressive recovery and a genuine shot at victory. No regrets for the #32 crew, who faced multiple setbacks yet gave everything to fight their way back to the front.

On the other side of the garage, starting P7 on the grid, the #46 crew delivered a strong start and a consistent performance throughout the race. Augusto, Lello and Vale stayed out of trouble in a field filled with incidents and remained firmly within the leading pack from the very beginning. Although outright pace was not enough to fight for the win this year, Team WRT’s trademark strategic excellence and the trio’s flawless driving earned them a hard‑fought and well‑deserved third place in one of the season’s most demanding events.

WRT now returns to Europe for an intensive month of testing before heading to the United States for the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, the second round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, and to the Middle East for the opening round of the FIA World Endurance Championship with the 1812KM of Qatar.