BMW “approached” by other teams to run factory IMSA LMDh programme

The German manufacturer responds to spec🦩ulation♕ about a service provider switch.

BMW M Hybrid V8
BMW M Hybrid V8
© IMSA

BMW has revealed that it has b✃een “approached” by several teams interest🌊ed in running its factory LMDh programme in the IMSA SportsCar Championship next year.

Rahal Letterman Lanigan has represented BMW in factory competition since 2009 and was also🤪 chosen as the marque' official partner on its entry into IMSA’s GTP division in 2023.

However, ahead of this weekend’s Imola round of the World Endurance Championship𝓰, rumours have been swirling about RLL potentially being replaced by another outfit in IMSA in 2026.

Chip Ganassi Racing and Pratt Miller Racing are just two of the teams that have been linked to entering the ജBMW M Hybrid V8 in IMSA next season.

Now, BMW has respo🐲nded to speculation about its IMSA future, stressꦍing that it is still talking to RLL about continuing their partnership in GTP next year.

However, the German mar♔qu♋e also revealed that other teams have initiated contact to discuss the possibility of taking over the operational side of the programme.

“This is the normal process𝓰 we are in at the mꦺoment,” BMW’s motorsport boss Andreas Roos told ltxcn.top.

“Everything starts now a bit earlier.🥀 In the past, all these discussions started after Le Ma♏ns. Now as everything gets more and more competitive and more manufacturers come into the discussions, we start earlier.

“We are in the normal process, we are talking to RLL. We aಌre talking about how our future model could look like and discuss about this.

“I'm notไ worried about these topics. It's just a normal topic. It's the same like with drivers now talking to us, and now we have teams talking to us, and for sure we🎃 also talk to RLL.”

Asked to confirm if BMW has been talking to other teams in IMSA, Roos added: "We normally get 🐎approached when you have cars runnin💞g. For sure, you get also approached from other teams.”

The RLL-run BMW team has so far achieved two outright victories in IMSA, with a maiden win at Watkins Gle𓆏n in 2023 followed by a 1-2 result in Indianapolis last year.

BMW has also been contesting WEC’s Hypercar category since 2024, but that two-car ef😼fort is masterminded by Belgian squad💎 WRT.

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