BMW M MOTORSPORT LOCKS IN ITS HYPERCAR A-TEAM FOR 2026 - A STELLAR LINEUP.
BMW M Motorsport is rolling into 2026 with a steady hand, a tight roster, and zero appetite for unnecessary disruption. After a season of building momentum with the BMW M Hybrid V8 in both the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the Bavarian brand is doubling down on consistency. The exact same eight BMW M works drivers from 2025 are returning for duty - though with a shake-up in the IMSA pairings to keep things fresh. The all-star squad remains: Philipp Eng (AUT), Robin Frijns (NED), Kevin Magnussen (DEN), Raffaele Marciello (SUI), René Rast (GER), Sheldon van der Linde (RSA), Dries Vanthoor (BEL), and Marco Wittmann (GER). Once again, Vanthoor and van der Linde will pull double shifts as full-season regulars in both WEC and IMSA - because apparently sleep is optional when you’re that fast.
North America will see a major operational shift as BMW M Team WRT officially takes over the IMSA programme from BMW M Team RLL. From 2026, the Belgian powerhouse squad will run the BMW M Hybrid V8 in both WEC and IMSA, streamlining the global Hypercar attack under a single motorsport philosophy.
The FIA WEC Hypercar line-ups stay exactly as they were in 2025. Stability is the name of the game.
#15 BMW M Hybrid V8: Magnussen – Marciello – Vanthoor
#20 BMW M Hybrid V8: Frijns – Rast – van der Linde
These trios delivered a solid foundation last season, and BMW sees no reason to tinker with a formula that already works.
While the driver roster remains unchanged, the pairings in IMSA get a strategic reshuffle:
#24 BMW M Hybrid V8:
Full-season drivers: Vanthoor + van der Linde
Endurance support: Frijns + Rast
#25 BMW M Hybrid V8:
Full-season drivers: Eng + Wittmann
Endurance support: Magnussen + Marciello
Andreas Roos, Head of BMW M Motorsport, put it clearly: 2026 brings enough variables already. An updated BMW M Hybrid V8, a new IMSA operating team, and the ever-tightening competition in both series mean the one thing BMW can keep steady is its driver line-up. “Consistency was our priority,” says Roos. “Our eight drivers performed extremely well, and continuity ensures we carry all the experience and momentum into 2026. With a new team in IMSA and an evolved car, driver stability becomes essential. The team works as one, everyone pushes in the same direction, and that’s what keeps our LMDh programme moving forward.”
Take a look at the YouTube video that shows why Magnussen is part of the 2026 lineup - the man can pilot, yo!: Onboard Kévin Magnussen BMW M Hypercar ⚡️ | TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa | FIA WEC | FIA World Endurance Championship
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