Suzuka. The 1000 km Suzuka left an outstanding performance for BMW M Motorsport during the fourth round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge (IGTC) 2026. In issue 50 of the prestigious japanese, the BMW M4 GT3 EVO won a victory in the category Bronze with Team WRT, while the Team KRC completed the weekend with a third place in Pro-Am.

The race contested at the legendary Suzuka circuit combined strategy, endurance, and different changes in the development of the competition. The most striking result came from the hands of Dan Harper, Anthony McIntosh and Parker Thompson, who took the BMW M4 GT3 EVO at number 69 to the first position on the Bronze category and, in addition, they finished seventh in the general classification.

Team WRT conquest the Bronze category

The Team WRT had a solid performance with the BMW M4 GT3 EVO at number 69. The official pilot of BMW M, Dan Harper, shared the wheel with Anthony McIntosh and Parker Thompson to complete a race in which the team did recover after a start that complicated.

The strategy was one of the key elements so that the trio could return to contention for the victory. After overcoming the initial difficulties, the team managed to stay competitive until the final stages and finally secured the win in the Bronze category.

“It's a great day. We had some bad luck at the beginning, but go back with force; the team got us back in the fight for the victory with an excellent strategy,” explained Harper after the race.

The result also enabled the BMW M4 GT3 EVO at number 69 to finish in the seventh position absolute, confirming the good pace shown by the set during the 1000 km Suzuka.

Podium for Augusto Farfus and Team KRC in Pro-Am

The representation of BMW M are also highlighted in the category Pro-Am thanks to the Team KRC. Augusto Farfus, official driver of BMW M, shared the BMW M4 GT3 EVO number 10 with Marcelo Tomasoni and Brian Lee.

The brazilian team-taiwanese completed a career consistent and managed to climb to the third step of the podium in its category.

For Farfus, this result meant in addition to his second podium in just two races with the Team KRC. The pilot in particular highlighted the strategic work performed during the competition and the physical effort required during their last relay.

“This is my second race with the Team KRC and my second podium. It is a great team, we had an excellent strategy,” said Farfus.

With this result, KRC once again proved its competitiveness within one of the categories most closely contested of the test in japan.

The pole in Bronze could not become victoria

The second BMW M4 GT3 EVO of Team KRC, identified with the number 89, had started the weekend with high expectations. Max Hesse, Maxime Oosten and Ruan Cun Fan showed a competitive pace since the workouts and confirmed their potential for the classification.

The trio managed to put the BMW M4 GT3 EVO in the fourth position of the grill general, a result which was the pole position of the Bronze category.

However, the race took a different course after about an hour and a half. The car suffered a contact with another competitor that led to his departure track. Due to the humid conditions, the BMW M4 GT3 EVO was trapped for a considerable period in the wet grass, which made it lose many positions.

Shortly after, the team was forced to withdraw the car from the competition.

To Max Hesse, the result was especially frustrating after the strong performance shown during the classification.

“Until that time, the weekend had gone very well; we had a qualifying session very solid,” explained the official pilot of BMW M. Hesse felt that the pace shown by the car would have allowed them to fight for the victory of category alongside the Team WRT.

PLUS BMW M Team Studie it also adds an outstanding result

Another BMW M4 GT3 EVO present in Suzuka was the number 5 PLUS with BMW M Team Studie, recognizable by its iconic design BLEACH.

The team completed the 1000 km of Suzuka in the fifth position of the Bronze category, adding another positive result for BMW M Motorsport in a day marked by the requirement of the competition of japan.

With the victory of the Team WRT, the podium of KRC in Pro-Am and the fifth post of PLUS BMW M Team Studie, the BMW M4 GT3 EVO once again proved its competitiveness in different fronts during one of the major endurance races in the international calendar.

The 1000 km Suzuka represented a new test of endurance for BMW M Motorsport within the IGTC, with results that combine a victory category, a podium and a pole position that, although he could not become an end result, confirmed the rhythm of the BMW M4 GT3 EVO at the japanese circuit.

Source: BMW Group