IMSA Road Atlanta: Paul Miller
Racing wins Petit Le Mans.
Philipp Eng, Dries Vanthoor, and Kevin Magnussen were on course for fourth place after a consistently strong race, but around ten minutes before the finish, Eng reported a right-rear tyre puncture. The subsequent pit stop dropped the crew back to ninth place. In the #25 car, Sheldon van der Linde, Marco Wittmann, and Robin Frijns finished eleventh. The trio lost touch with the leaders due to two drive-through penalties. The Petit Le Mans marked the final race for BMW M Team RLL with the BMW M Hybrid V8. After 17 years, 25 victories, and more than 100 podium finishes, the collaboration with BMW M Motorsport comes to an end. Starting in 2026, BMW M Team WRT will take over the racing operations in the GTP class.
Andreas Roos, Head of BMW M Motorsport
Driver statements.
Philipp Eng (#24 BMW M Hybrid V8, BMW M Team RLL, 9th place): “It’s unbelievable that we suffered a puncture just ten minutes before the finish. We were in a good position, had a strong package, and were on course for fourth place in the race. That would have meant second place in the drivers’ standings for Dries and me. It’s really disappointing, but life goes on. A big thank you to Dries for being such an incredible teammate this season. I especially want to thank BMW M Team RLL for eight great years together. Our first race at Daytona in 2018 was my debut in a works programme. Since then, we’ve experienced so much, and I’ve made many friends in the team. That makes this farewell emotional for me. Thanks also to BMW M Motorsport for all the hard work throughout the season.”
Sheldon van der Linde (#25 BMW M Hybrid V8, BMW M Team RLL, 11th place): “A tough end to a tough season – that probably sums up our year best. We often had the potential but didn’t manage to put everything together. We’ll take many lessons from this season. We didn’t get everything right, so maybe we didn’t deserve to be at the very top. But 2026 is a new year, and hopefully, we’ll come back stronger.”
Dan Harper (#48 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, Paul Miller Racing, 1st place GTD PRO): “What a fantastic weekend! It started great with pole position – my second in a row. The race was a first for Max and me, and it was great to have Connor with his Petit Le Mans experience on board. All three of us did a flawless job. The car doesn’t have a scratch, which is incredibly important in a long-distance race on such a narrow track with much faster prototypes. The race was a lot of fun, and ending the season with this victory and the Endurance Cup title is amazing. Unfortunately, we had some issues in other races this season, which cost us the chance to win the overall championship.”
Max Hesse (#48 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, Paul Miller Racing, 1st place GTD PRO): “I’m pretty speechless and exhausted after this tough race. Everyone said beforehand that Petit Le Mans is one of the hardest races to win. The fact that we managed to do it on our first attempt is incredible. Winning the Endurance Cup title on top of that crowns this day. Huge thanks to Paul Miller Racing for the perfect job and to BMW M Motorsport for the great car.”
Connor De Phillippi (#48 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, Paul Miller Racing, 1st place GTD PRO): “For me, it was something new and special to race across two cars. Unfortunately, we had technical issues with the #1 car relatively early, so my focus shifted to the #48. The car felt fantastic and was very fast throughout the race. The team also did a flawless job. That’s how you win endurance races.”