Unveiling its new headquarters on the outskirts of Liège to the press and its contacts this Tuesday evening (6 May), Team WRT announced the full driver line-ups for the twice-around-the-clock race. The team – run by Vincent Vosse, Kathleen Schurmans, and Yves Weerts – will add two more M4 GT3 EVOs. In addition to Rossi and Magnussen, two former winners of the 24 Hours of Spa and Dries Vanthoor are also among the reinforcements. The Belgian squad has made its ambitions crystal clear: to secure a third victory at the world’s greatest GT race.
A passionate fan of the Ardennes classic, Rossi will be competing at Spa for the fourth time, making his third attempt behind the wheel of a BMW. Driving car #46 – naturally! – the MotoGP legend is chasing what would be a truly historic victory. "I'm very happy to be back at the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa," said Rossi. "It's a fantastic race, very demanding and difficult, on a circuit that commands respect. The level of this race, with the best GT drivers and teams in the world, is incredible. I can't wait to compete with my great teammates, Kevin Magnussen and René Rast."
To assist him in this task, The Doctor will be joined by new BMW M Motorsport driver Magnussen. Over 10 seasons in Formula 1, the Dane made 186 Grand Prix starts for McLaren, Renault, and Haas. Now 32, he has turned his hand to endurance racing, a discipline that brought fame to his father, Jan.
“I'm really looking forward to discovering the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa with BMW M Motorsport and Team WRT," he said. "I'll also have to get used to the BMW M4 GT3 EVO. I have some GT experience, having competed in a race with my father, the Gulf 12 Hours, a few years ago. René and Valentino will certainly be able to help me a lot so that I can get used to the car as quickly as possible. I'm very excited to share with them. Valentino is a legend, and René, whom I know well since we're on the same team in the FIA WEC, is a true champion. It will be a pleasure to participate together at the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa."
They will both count on the enormously experienced Rast. Among his many achievements, the German is a two-time CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa winner with Phoenix Racing (2012) and Team WRT (2014).
Three more international stars will get behind the wheel of the #31 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, notably the winner of the 2023 CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa, Marco Wittmann. He will be joined by two drivers who have already twice finished on the podium in the Ardennes classic: Sheldon van der Linde and Dries Vanthoor. Runner-up in a thrilling 2021 CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa, Vanthoor is still chasing his first win at the Ardennes event. A three-time GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup champion, Spa remains one of the major goals of his career – and this could be the year.
Alongside the two additional cars, Team WRT will field a third BMW M4 GT3 EVO in the Pro class. Winners of the opening round of the 2025 Endurance Cup at Circuit Paul Ricard, Kelvin van der Linde (Sheldon’s older brother), and Belgian stars Charles Weerts and Ugo de Wilde will be aiming for overall victory in the #32 machine.
Team WRT will also compete in the Silver Cup with the #30 BMW, driven by Gilles Stadsbader, Gustav Bergström, and Étienne Chéli. Lastly, under the AlManar Racing by WRT banner, the #777 BMW will be entered by the team now based in the Liège region. Aiming for Gold Cup victory, Al Faisal Al Zubair, Ben Tuck, and Jens Klingmann could also contend for a strong overall finish.
“We are very proud to be competing in the biggest GT3 race in the world with such a strong line-up,” said Andreas Roos, Head of BMW M Motorsport. “We will have 11 BMW M4 GT3 EVOs at the start, including five in the Pro class to aim for the overall victory. It’s fantastic! We’ve never had so many GT3 cars at the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa. The fact that we can have Valentino Rossi, Kevin Magnussen and René Rast sharing a car should really excite the fans who will be at the track or in front of their screens.”