First Championship Title in Team History Secured

ROWE RACING won its first-ever championship title in team history at the GT World Challenge Europe season finale in Portimão. With a second-place finish in the Gold Cup, Jens Klingmann, Tim Tramnitz, and Ugo de Wilde in the #998 BMW M4 GT3 EVO secured both the drivers’ and team championships in the Endurance Cup.

This double victory caps off an extraordinary season and the mentoring project initiated in collaboration with BMW M Motorsport, in which young drivers Tim Tramnitz and Ugo de Wilde were able to gain valuable experience in international GT3 racing alongside the experienced Jens Klingmann. After consistently strong performances—including two third-place finishes at the season opener and the Gold Cup victory at the 24 Hours of Spa—the #998 took the lead in the standings at the Nürburgring race and successfully defended it through the end of the season.

Title race remains up in the air until the very end

An exciting three-way battle unfolded in Portimão between AF Corse and Garage 59. The outcome wasn’t decided until the final minutes of the race. After a rival McLaren lost crucial time in the battle for the lead, closing driver Jens Klingmann brought the #998 BMW M4 GT3 EVO home in second place, thereby securing both championship titles.

With 107 points, Klingmann, Tramnitz, and de Wilde ultimately clinched the championship by a margin of just three points.

Tough break for the sister vehicle

The race didn’t go as well for the #98 BMW M4 GT3 EVO. Marco Wittmann, Jake Dennis, and Philipp Eng worked their way up from 35th on the grid into the points before a collision with a McLaren forced an extra pit stop. The car was ultimately classified in 21st place.

“That was a very exciting race to end the season, with a wonderful finale. The drivers and the entire team put in a great performance. Everyone involved can be very proud. We didn’t always have the fastest car, but over the course of the entire season, we had an exceptionally consistent team that consistently executed our strategies and made hardly any mistakes. It was precisely this unity that ultimately proved to be the key to winning the title. For our #98 car, however, it’s a real shame that the streak of bad luck that plagued us throughout the season continued into the finale. All in all, of course, the immense joy over this historic success outweighs everything else. Our first championship title is the result of a united team effort throughout the entire season and a special validation of the work done by everyone involved.”

Hans-Peter Naundorf

Team Principal, ROWE RACING