BMW takes WEC runner-up spot despite Monza braking trouble

BMW closed the 2026 World Endurance Championship season second in the manufacturers’ standings, but its Monza finale again exposed a technical weakness in the M Hybrid V8. The team’s two cars finished fifth and seventh in the six-hour race, while Toyota’s stronger results earlier in the campaign had ended BMW’s hopes of a sustained title challenge.

The result capped a season featuring two Hypercar victories and three additional podiums. BMW motorsport boss Andreas Roos called the campaign a significant achievement, pointing to the team’s return to the top class and its contest against Toyota. He said the outfit is pushing to improve further in 2027 and fight at the front both at Le Mans and in the championship.

BMW’s title aspirations had taken a hit after difficult races in Austin and Barcelona, where Toyota scored heavily. The two BMW entries arrived at Monza level on points, and after a challenging qualifying session, both recovered to end in the points. But it was not enough. The season-long contest between the manufacturers had been closely balanced, as covered in our WEC title fight report.

The #15 recovered from a penalty, while the #20 lost ground

Kevin Magnussen, Raffaele Marciello and Dries Vanthoor brought the #15 BMW home in fifth place. The crew had to recover from a drive-through penalty for overtaking under virtual safety car conditions; a late spin also ruined its chance of finishing fourth. Magnussen however was proud and said the team achieved its targets of second in the manufacturers’ standings and third in the drivers’ standings.

The #20 BMW, shared by René Rast, Robin Frijns and Sheldon van der Linde, ran among the podium contenders before braking inconsistency dropped, unfortunately, it out of the points. Team principal Vincent Vosse said the issue was linked to the hybrid system, although its precise cause remained unclear. Late penalties and incidents involving rivals lifted the car to seventh in the final classification.

Rast said the late problems cost the crew a possible podium, while still noting the progress made over the season. BMW had encountered braking trouble with the car earlier in the year, when a failure cost WRT a potential victory at the Road America IMSA race in August. Whether the episodes are connected remains unknown.

BMW targets a stronger challenge in 2027

Vosse said finishing second (Hypercar) and third (LMGT3) in a competitive championship was a strong result, even though the aims of team remains to win titles. But Roos made it clear that BMW wants more next season: the team has big ambitions to compete at the front and contend for victories at Le Mans and in the world championship.