BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt looks back on the development of the BMW M8 GTE

BMW Motorsport presented the new BMW M8 GTE in its livery for the 2018 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in Daytona (USA) on Wednesday. Speaking in an interview, BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt looks back on the development of the BMW M8 GTE and underlines the importance of team spirit in the development crew. 

The running of two cars in the GT class in the 24-hour race at the “Daytona International Speedway” represents the race debut and the next milestone in “Mission8”. Speaking in an interview, BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt looks back on the development of the BMW M8 GTE and underlines the importance of team spirit in the development crew.

Mr Marquardt, the race debut of the new BMW M8 GTE is just around the corner. Take us through the development of the car over the past few months. How did it all begin?

Jens Marquardt: “The first race for the new BMW M8 GTE at Daytona will be very special for every one of us at BMW Motorsport. The roots of the GTE project lie in a combination of many aspects. At the start of the programme, back in 2015, the goal was to expand our activities in traditional motor racing – BMW M Motorsport – and to position ourselves even more internationally. At the same time, the possible return to Le Mans brought its very own fascination for our team. However, the most important factor was that the production model, the BMW 8 Series Coupé, was developed at the same time. We were given a green light from the board to develop a thoroughbred GTE racing car, parallel with the colleagues in production development. That is how it all began. Now the BMW M8 GTE is ready for Daytona. For the first time in BMW Motorsport history the race car will be in action before its series counterpart.”

When you started to develop the BMW M8 GTE, there was not actually a production model...

Marquardt: “Correct. Right from the word go, we worked with our colleagues in production development to synchronise the individual steps as closely as possible. It was a challenge. When we needed the first chassis of the production car, there simply wasn’t one yet. We were, however, able to work with special prototype chassis from production development. We progressed step by step in that manner. Furthermore, at the start of our development, there were still minor changes to the production model. To a certain degree, we were dealing with a moving target.”

How was the cooperation with colleagues in production?

Marquardt: “Very close and efficient. The developers on the production side obviously had their own specific challenges to overcome. Despite that, they were always open to the GTE project, and always willing to help. That was real teamwork. We synchronised the focus of our development with the core areas of the production model. The question was: what should the racing car emanate and embody? The core values of the BMW 8 Series Coupé should also be the strength of the BMW M8 GTE.”

Can you give us any examples of these development focal points?

Marquardt: “Let’s take the design aspects. We are obliged to adopt the same external contour and roof line as the production model. However, it was also important to incorporate elements such as the headlamps, the Carbon Core and the centre console in the race car, based on the BMW 8 Series Coupé. The topic of carbon fibre played a major role.”

Does the joint development mean that the BMW M8 GTE is more similar to its production counterpart than any other BMW race car?

 Marquardt: “When you look at the regulations, the engine in the BMW M6 GT3 is extremely close to that in the production model. However, we were able to make more substantial changes to the chassis. In the case of the BMW M8 GTE, the chassis is closer to the production model, but the engine had to be modified significantly. The most important thing is that we based the BMW M6 GT3 on an existing car. That was different this time. Because the race car will be in action before the production car, we worked intensively with the design department from a very early point to ensure that were on the same page when it came to the design. That worked very well.”

The GTE class is fiercely competitive, both in the IMSA and the FIA WEC. How big was the challenge, with regard to performance?

Marquardt: “We are certainly up against some tough competition with the BMW M8 GTE, that much is clear. The BMW M6 GTLM, which itself was derived from the GT3 car, served as a reference. But this time we were able to concentrate fully on the demands of the GTE class. As such, many parts have been specifically designed for this car to explicitly align areas such as weight, centre of gravity and aerodynamics with the eventual area of application. We have actually exceeded our own requirements when it comes to the engine and aerodynamics. We have also made big strides with other components, such as the chassis and traction control. This is confirmed by the feedback from the drivers. We will see how this is reflected in the results over the course of the year. The Balance of Performance obviously also plays a big role, however the BMW M8 GTE certainly has great potential.”

Were there specific key moments in the development?

Marquardt: “The special team spirit in the development team will definitely stay with us for a long time. The engineers consistently motivated each other and put a lot of heart and soul into this project. The rollout in Dingolfing was the first highlight. The second step, in which the final chassis and aerodynamics were added to the car, was of similar importance. It was an extremely tight schedule, which led straight into a 24-hour test. We achieved all that as a team with a remarkable group dynamic. I am proud of everyone at BMW Motorsport.”

To what extent does the development work continue after the first race in Daytona?

Marquardt: “After the car has been homologated, there are some areas in which we can, and may, make changes. We can still do some work on the software, in particular. We will also continue to work on aligning the BMW M8 GTE with all its systems, and will integrate all the reference values we have acquired. First of all, however, we are looking forward to the maiden race in Daytona.”

The M8 will make its European debut at the FIA WEC Prologue at Le Castellet in April.

Source: BMW Press release

New Porsche 919 Hybrid presented at Monza this afternoon

After the presentation of Toyota's challenger this morning, Porsche took the honours in the afternoon to present its 2017 Porsche 919 Hybrid for the FIA World Endurance Championship.  The 2017 model 919 Hybrid deploys a range of new innovations, particularly in the vehicle’s aerodynamics, the chassis and the combustion engine. 60 to 70 percent of the car has been newly developed. 

With the revised technical regulations,  the Porsche engineers designed two brand-new aerodynamics packages for the 919 Hybrid. In 2016, Porsche delivered three aerodynamics packages for the season, but the new regulations have also imposed limits on numbers. To achieve maximum top speeds on the extremely long straight sections, the package design focuses on minimising air resistance. The second aerodynamics package compensates for a higher level of drag with greater downforce for tracks with twists and turns. Track- specific fine-tuning is still permitted, but in general, 2017 will involve a higher level of compromise than was the case with the three aerodynamics packages of the previous year. 

A key focus for the engineers was to design the front end of the vehicle to be less aerodynamically sensitive. When comparing a front view of this year’s 919 to the previous year’s model, the higher, wider and longer wheel arches immediately catch the eye. To the side, the new channel from the monocoque to the wheel arch is visible, along with the redesigned rear air intakes for the radiators. Porsche is expecting to see a three to four-second increase in lap times at Le Mans, following the new regulations. 

Next to the aerodynamical changes, the efficiency and performance of the drivetrain also has been boosted by the Porsche engineers.  The transmission on the front and rear axle, the combustion engine, the electric motor and the energy recovery systems have all been optimised, but the basic principle behind the drive system is unchanged. The rear axle of the 919 is driven by an extremely compact two-litre V4 combustion engine which delivers just under 500 hp (368 kW). Two different energy recovery systems – a braking energy recovery system on the front axle plus an exhaust energy recovery system – feed a lithium-ion battery, which in turn powers an electric motor capable of supplying additional power of over 400 hp (294 kW) to the front axle on demand. Combined the 919 Hybrid achieves a system power of more than 900 hp (662 kW).

The 919 will start again in the highest energy efficiency class prescribed by the regulations. This means that the car can use 8 megajoules of recovered energy over the 13.629-kilometre (8.4 mile) track in Le Mans, subject to the restriction that it may only consume a maximum of 4.31 litres of fuel to do so. 

After three years, the Porsche LMP team lines up with two newly assembled driver trio's. Neel Jani is the leading driver in the #1 Porsche 919 Hybrid. He will be joined by André Lotterer who's coming over from Audi and Nick Tandy. In the #2 car Timo Bernhard and Brendon Hartley will be joined by another Le Mans winner from 2015: Earl Bamber.

Quotes: 

Fritz Enzinger, Vice President LMP, faces the season with a great deal of respect: “Each and every one of the nine endurance races presents a challenge. Reliability is the basic requirement; six hours of navigating around the many cars in the different categories, each driving at different speeds, makes each race unpredictable – and ultimately it is often only seconds that separate the winner from the rest of the field. At four times the duration of the other races, Le Mans forms the pinnacle of the series. This 24-hour race pushes both men and machine to their absolute limits. Toyota is set to be a very strong contender in the top-tier LMP1 category for the 2017 season. We will face up to them with a meticulously enhanced Porsche 919 Hybrid and a team of six first-class drivers.”

Team Principal Andreas Seidl, who continues to serve as acting technical director, reports: “For the 2017 season, 60 to 70 per cent of the vehicle is newly developed. The basic concept of the 919 Hybrid still offers scope to optimise the finer details and further boost efficiency. The monocoque has remained unchanged since 2016, but the optimisation potential of all other components was analysed and, in most cases, adjustments made accordingly.”

Kristof Vermeulen.

Toyota Gazoo Racing unveils the 2017 TS050 Hybrid at Monza

Toyota Gazoo Racing presented its TS050 Hybrid this morning, ahead of the FIA WEC Prologue in Monza over the weekend. 

Following the dramatic outcome of last years Le Mans race, Toyota now has a clear target to earn its first Le Mans victory. That requires a combined effort at its technical centres in Higashi-Fuji and Cologne, with upgrades in every area of the TS050 HYBRID.

The 2017 car features a 2.4litre V6 turbo-charged petrol engine combined with an 8 MJ hybrid system. A new, further developed engine and an optimised hybrid system now give the car an estimated maximum power of 735 kW/1000 hp. 

New regulations for 2017 target a reduction in aerodynamic efficiency for safety reasons and to increase the Le Mans laptimes. This is achieved by rasing the front splitter by 15 mm and a rear diffuser that's been narrowed down. On the Toyota, the major differences on the body work are a raised nose and sharp undercut to the sidepods. The most noticeable modifications on the body work are a raised nose and sharp undercut to the sidepods. As from this season, only 2 aero configurations are allowed. The one that will be used at Monza is the low downforce configuration for Le Mans. Toyota has also worked closely with Michelin in developing new tyre compounds and constructions for the new season, as tyre usage also has been restricted from now on. 

Earlier this week, the Japenese team confirmed its full driver line-up for the 2017 season, with Yuji Kunimoto and Nicolas Lapierre joining Stéphane Sarrazin in a third car at Francorchamps and Le Mans.  For Lapierre its a return to the team he left in 2015 after scoring its first victories in the FIA WEC. Since then, Lapierre has been one of the leading LMP2 drivers, twice winning the class at Le Mans, the FIA WEC championship and several races in ELMS. Yuji Kumimoto has been racing in the Japenese Super GT championship for eight seasons and won the Super Formula championship last year.  

The crews of the 2 cars which will compete in the full FIA WEC season were already confirmed in February. José Maria Lopez is a new face in the #7 car which he will share with regulars Mike Conway and Kamui Kobayashi. The driver line-up of the #8 car is unchanged with Sébastien Buemi, Anthony Davidson and Kazuki Nakajima. 

Quotes: 

Toshio Sato, Team President

"The whole team is motivated and determined for this season. We want to win, there is no doubt about that, but we know it will be a tough fight with Porsche. The team in Higashi-Fuji and Cologne has worked incredibly hard to update the TS050 HYBRID and the first indications are encouraging. Having a third car is an additional opportunity and we will do our best to again deliver a great spectacle for the fans at Le Mans. We know from painful experience that Le Mans is a very difficult race to win, but that is our target. Everything - the car, the team and the drivers - has to work perfectly to achieve our goal. We will see in June if we have done enough."

Histake Murata, Racing Hybrid Project Leader

"Although the TS050 HYBRID shares the same name as the 2016 car, its performance has been greatly improved by reviewing the powertrain and enhancing efficiency in all areas. TOYOTA GAZOO Racing's biggest goal for this year, as always, is winning Le Mans. The team in Higashi-Fuji has worked ceaselessly since Le Mans last year to develop a powertrain which will deliver performance over one lap and over a full race distance, enabling us to compete at the front. This has resulted in a new engine, plus modifications to the motor generator units and battery. The first results are very encouraging but we will continue to fine-tune so we are ready."

Pascal Vasselon, Technical Director

"Our 2017 TS050 HYBRID represents a significant update; the only item which is not changed is the monocoque. At several races last year we showed the potential of our car with strong performances. But to achieve our targets we need more, so as well as big aerodynamic changes, we have optimised each area for performance and weight. What happened at Le Mans last year was painful so we gave extra attention to quality management. Zero risk doesn't exist so we operate according to a given level of risk, which this year we have reduced. Pre-season testing has gone well in terms of performance and reliability so we feel positive but we also know we face a tough competitor."

Kristof Vermeulen.