🇿🇦 KELVIN VAN DER LINDE, VALENTINO ROSSI, AND TEAM WRT CONQUER INDIANAPOLIS IN STYLE - WIN CHAMPIONSHIPS!
Team WRT has wrapped up its Intercontinental GT Challenge season with a bang - and a healthy dose of South African pride. Just six days after clinching multiple titles in Barcelona, the Belgian powerhouse took victory at the Indianapolis 8 Hour, locking down both the Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ Championships in the process. At the centre of it all? The #46 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, shared by Valentino Rossi, Charles Weerts, and Kelvin van der Linde - the latter adding another chapter to his already stellar career by being crowned the 2025 IGTC Drivers’ Champion. Their sister car, the #777 BMW, piloted by Al Faisal Al Zubair, Raffaele Marciello, and Augusto Farfus, rounded out the day with third place, sealing a double podium for WRT and confirming BMW’s domination on the world stage. It’s Team WRT’s third consecutive win at the Brickyard, marking the team’s 70th major title - a mind-blowing achievement for a squad that’s been rewriting endurance racing history since 2009.
The final round of the IGTC season brought 25 cars from eight manufacturers to the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway - and Mother Nature decided to make it dramatic. Both WRT crews started strong. The #777 topped Q1 and started P2, while Kelvin hustled the #46 to third in the shootout. Rossi took the opening stint and delivered a clean, consistent first two hours - something that’s become his signature as his transition from MotoGP legend to GT racer continues to impress.
As the race unfolded, Farfus and Weerts kept the pace high, hovering between second and third before Marciello and Van der Linde took over and charged into the lead battle. But then the heavens opened - and not in a small way. A violent thunderstorm and lightning show forced a red flag that stopped the race for over two hours. When the green flag finally returned, strategy became the name of the game. The WRT pit wall made a bold call, resetting Kelvin’s stint length one lap earlier than anyone else - a move that flipped the race on its head and handed the #46 BMW a decisive advantage. From there, Van der Linde did what he does best: kept it tidy, kept it fast, and brought it home.
The Quotes That Tell the Story
Vincent Vosse, Team Principal, WRT:
“It’s the perfect way to finish our IGTC campaign - three straight wins at Indianapolis and another title for BMW. We did make a mistake with the #777 strategy, which hurts, but overall, this is a huge result. I’m proud of the whole team and so happy for Kelvin. He’s been outstanding all year.”
Valentino Rossi, #46 BMW M4 GT3 EVO:
“I’m really happy! I enjoy these kinds of races - I learn so much every time. I think I did a good job in my stint, and although the #777 was faster all weekend, we managed to stay close and take the win. It was an amazing weekend.”
Kelvin van der Linde, #46 BMW M4 GT3 EVO:
“The #777 deserved the win, they were super strong all week. But sometimes the weather plays its own game. To end the season with four wins from five races is something special. I’m proud to be part of this BMW and WRT story in my first year - this kind of season doesn’t come often.”
Charles Weerts, #46 BMW M4 GT3 EVO:
“A bizarre race with that thunderstorm! The #777 guys were strong, but the key thing is we got the championship done for BMW. That’s what matters.”
Raffaele Marciello, #777 BMW M4 GT3 EVO:
“It hurts not to win, but we had a lot of fun this year. There’s such a good vibe in the team and we achieved what we came for - the championship. I’m happy for Kelvin, he deserves it. We’ll come back stronger.”
For Kelvin van der Linde, this is some serious validation. The 27-year-old from Johannesburg has spent the past decade carving a name for himself in global GT racing, from Audi Sport to BMW M, and this latest championship cements him as one of the world’s elite endurance racers. In a season that included victories in Bathurst and Suzuka, Kelvin has been the constant thread in WRT’s success story. Cool under pressure, clinical in execution, and lightning-fast when it counts - it’s the perfect formula. For South African motorsport fans, it’s another reason to shout “boet, we’ve got world-class talent right here!”
Pics from Team WRT Facebook.
Take a look at the YouTube video hosted by the chaps over at Vision Place that gives you all the necessary details of the recent race win, as well as the status of the championship. We're just in it for Kelvin - mooi so!: Team WRT BMW Wins Indy 8 Hour Race! | Valentino Rossi Makes History | Vision Place
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