Team WRT has announced the lineup for the additional BMWs it will enter in the GT GT World Challenge Europe 2023.
One of the Endurance Cup M4 GT3s prepared by the Belgian team will take part in the assault on the new Bronze Cup category with Tim Whale and Lewis Proctor, to which is added a novelty, Adam Carroll, Champion in A1GP and debuting in the SRO Motorsports series group.
The other Bavarian car is for the Gold Class with the trio formed by Calan Williams, Niklas Krütten and the reigning Silver Champion, Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer.
As we know, the other two BMWs are instead in the PRO Class for Valentino Rossi/Maxime Martin/Augusto Farfus (#46) and Dries Vanthoor/Charles Weerts/Sheldon Van Der Linde (#32).
Also in the Sprint Cup we will have four WRT cars, with the already known Vanthoor/Weerts and Rossi/Martin in PRO, to which will be added Simmenauer/Thomas Neubauer and Williams/Krütten in Silver.
#32 Team WRT, BMW M4 GT3: Sheldon Van Der Linde, Dries Vanthoor, Charles Weerts
Photo by: BMW Motorsport
“I’ll give it my all, opportunities like this don’t happen often when you have the strength and experience of WRT with a great car like BMW – said Carroll – Tim is fast becoming one of the best AM drivers in the world and Lewis is one of the best Silvers, so to say I’m thrilled is an understatement. We will fight hard for the championship.”
His teammate Whale adds: “I am very honored to be part of the illustrious Team WRT for my first year in GT3 and excited for the season ahead. I am looking forward to the opportunity to learn in the more competitive, with a BMW already winning in the race. Adam and Lewis are exceptional and fast teammates. We are aiming for the Bronze Cup, it will be an exciting challenge”.
I also load Proctor: “I am thrilled to be with WRT for a second season. They have embarked on a new and exciting adventure with BMW and I am honored to be a part of this program. They have started working immediately and I have no doubt that this year the car will be one of the outright stars. I’m delighted to be working with Tim and Adam, who are both very fast and fantastic people. We should be a strong line-up for the championship!”
Valentino Rossi, Team WRT, BMW M4 GT3
Photo by: WRT Team
Krütten comments: “It is a great honor and pleasure to race for WRT in the GTWC this year. For me it is particularly nice to be back driving a BMW, a new adventure awaits us with many opportunities and challenges. WRT has proven its professionalism in the past, its ambition and its success. I look forward to the upcoming season with high expectations and am thrilled to have the chance to work with this great team in an extremely renowned series and one of the best GT3 series in the world.”
A new adventure instead for Williams, seen in FIA F2: “I’m really excited, WRT has an important history and there’s no other team I’d rather switch to GT racing with. I can’t wait for a fun and successful season! “.
Neubauer on the other hand already knows what awaits him: “I am clearly excited to start all over again after last year’s great season with Team WRT. The goals have been achieved and we have created a very good working relationship with everyone. I am happy to join Jean-Baptiste and I can’t wait to get back on track.”
Simmenauer concludes: “I’m really happy to be back with WRT. We started the year with a great result in Dubai and now I’ll be able to compete in both the Sprint and the Endurance Cup, with the aim of continuing this success. I have great teammates from team like Thomas, Niklas and Calan, and I can’t wait to go to Monza!”.
Valentino Rossi, TEAM WRT, BMW M4 GT3
Photo by: WRT Team
Finally, here are the words of the Team Principal, Vincent Vosse: “I am very happy to add two great formations. We will fight in different classes, which is fantastic, and we are ready to take up the challenge against very strong competition. As always, we have a mix of youth and experience, with talent as a common denominator”.
“I am happy to welcome Calan and Niklas to the team, whose experience with the BMW M4 GT3 collected last year will be very useful. I am also very happy to see Thomas and Jean-Baptiste continue to work with us and move up to the class PRO Equally happy is Lewis’ stay and the welcome to Tim and Adam, who have done a great job together in GT4.”
“Tim has already made a successful debut with us in Dubai and probably few remember that Adam too, who made a fruitful appearance with Team WRT in the past. We are now in top form to face the 2023 season, which will start with collective testing at the Paul Ricard on March 7-8”.