Drivers Andy Priaulx (GB), Dirk Müller (DE) and Joey Hand (US) finished third in the #56 BMW M3 GT. In the final stint, driver Hand crossed the finish line after 313 thrilling laps, having covered a distance of more than 2600 miles.
In contrast, the drivers of the second BMW M3 GT, #55 – Augusto Farfus (BR), Jörg Müller (DE) and Dirk Werner (DE) – left the endurance classic empty-handed.
The trio had battled for 276 laps, repeatedly fighting their way back after being hampered by incidents. Just two and a half hours before the end of the race, the fifth-placed M3 GT came to a stop in the “Mulsanne” corner. Jörg Müller had previously reported feeling vibrations in the car.
Victory in the LM GTE class went to Corvette’s Olivier Beretta (MC), Tommy Milner (US) and Antonio Garcia (ES).
The 79th staging of the Le Mans 24 Hours, which was overshadowed by several alarming crashes, proved to be a rollercoaster ride for Team BMW Motorsport. Both cars had to make several unscheduled pit stops for repairs and to change tires, while rain showers added another factor to the final stages of the race.
The two M3s that started the race from pole position and third on the grid, demonstrated their performance over the entire race distance, consistently clocking competitive times.
Dirk Müller clocked the fastest GTE race lap with a time of 3:58.876 minutes. Bearing in mind the many incidents, third place for Priaulx, Dirk Müller and Hand was probably the best possible result.
The Le Mans 24 Hours also counts towards this season’s Intercontinental Le Mans Cup (ILMC). Third place in France means BMW has finished on the GTE podium at every race so far – BMW celebrated a one-two in the GT class at Sebring (US), while BMW drivers also finished third in the GTE class at the 1000km race at Spa-Francorchamps (BE).
BMW Motorsport congratulates Audi Sport and Corvette Racing on their victories in the very competitive LM P1 and LM GTE Pro classes.