Turner Motorsport Named Top BMW Customer Team for Second Straight Year
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Kevin Magnussen is returning to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship … at least for next month’s Rolex 24 At Daytona.
BMW M Motorsport announced last week that Magnussen – who spent the 2021 season competing in the WeatherTech Championship in between 10 seasons of Formula 1 racing from 2014-24 – has been named a works driver for the manufacturer’s LMDh program that includes both the WeatherTech Championship and FIA World Endurance Championship.
While BMW’s announcement didn’t specify where Magnussen would be racing in 2025, the 32-year-old Dane confirmed to media over the weekend at the F1 race in Abu Dhabi that he will be part of the driver lineup for the Rolex 24.
“Daytona will be the first race, and BMW will announce the rest of the program shortly,” Magnussen told reporters.
BMW M Team RLL is set to enter two BMW M Hybrid V8s again in the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class at the Rolex 24 and throughout the 2025 WeatherTech Championship season. Magnussen drove for Chip Ganassi Racing in the Daytona Prototype international (DPi) class in 2021, collecting a win at Detroit with co-driver Renger van der Zande and following that with four straight podium finishes. His last WeatherTech Championship appearance was at the 2022 Rolex 24 before he returned to F1 with the Haas F1 Team.
“I’m happy to be going back to sports car racing,” Magnussen told media at Abu Dhabi. “It kind of feels like where I grew up, my dad (IMSA great Jan Magnussen) having driven in sports car racing pretty much as long as I can remember, being around the track for the big races. In some ways it feels like going home.”
In a statement released by BMW, Magnussen said, “After 10 years in Formula 1, I am embarking on a new and exciting chapter, and I look forward to taking on the challenge in the most innovative and advanced sports cars in the history of endurance racing. A huge thank you to BMW M Motorsport for this fantastic opportunity. I can hardly wait to start the preparations and look forward to kicking off the 2025 season with the rest of the team.”
BMW M Motorsport also announced that Maxime Martin will no longer be a works driver, per his own request. The Belgian driver was a member of the BMW program from 2013-17 and again in 2023 and ’24. He drove in three of this season’s IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup races for the No. 25 BMW M Team RLL BMW M Hybrid V8.
“I am very grateful for the time we spent together and for my seven years as a BMW M works driver,” Martin said. “I wish BMW M Motorsport great success in the future, and the brand will always remain a part of me. But now it’s time for me to take on new challenges.”
Turner Motorsport Repeats as BMW M Sports Trophy Winner
Turner Motorsport – which entered BMW cars across three IMSA series in 2024, the WeatherTech Championship, IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge and IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge – was named recipient of the manufacturer’s prestigious BMW M Sports Trophy for the second straight year.
The honor goes to the top BMW customer team around the world and was presented Saturday at the BMW Night of Trophies in Munich, Germany. Privateer teams accumulate points throughout the season in the various series where they compete to earn the award. Earning the BMW M Sports Trophy capped a memorable year for Turner Motorsport, which became the team with the most BMW race starts in history when Robby Foley and Patrick Gallagher drove the appropriately numbered No. 557 BMW M4 GT3 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in May.
“Honoring our most successful private teams and drivers is always a special event for us at the end of the year,” said Franciscus van Meel, BMW M CEO. “The BMW M Motorsport teams and drivers are the best ambassadors for BMW and BMW M on racetracks worldwide. Their global successes with our race cars are thrilling and underscore that motorsport is part of our DNA.
“A big thank you to all BMW M Motorsport teams, drivers, and congratulations to this year’s winners, especially Turner Motorsport and (driver winner) Justin Rothberg.”
“What a year!” said Will Turner, team owner of Turner Motorsport. “Not only did we set the record for the most professional races with BMW worldwide, campaigning seven BMWs across five series, but we won our 10th championship and now this: the BMW M Sports Team and Driver trophies. I am so proud of my team, my drivers and, of course, thankful to BMW Motorsport for making this all possible with their incredible race cars. I’m excited to see what we can do in 2025 with the BMW M4 GT3 & GT4 EVOs.”