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Throughout the course of the 2025 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Porsche Penske Motorsport has emerged as a relentless force. The team has dominated the GTP class with clinical precision, flawless execution, and an unbroken string of victories. Yet, in their mirror, there has been one consistent shadow: BMW M Team RLL.
While Porsche has celebrated from the top step of the podium at every round, it’s Bobby Rahal’s team, which runs BMW's factory effort in the IMSA championship, that has refused to concede the fight.
With top-five finishes at every event and a well-earned podium in their back pocket, BMW M Team RLL has quietly positioned itself as the Porsche juggernaut’s most credible threat.
But the story beneath the surface is one of unfulfilled potential. A season that could have looked remarkably different were it not for a series of stumbles, missteps, and near-misses that have turned race-winning speed into little more than what-ifs.
'You're just trying to improve the car in all ways,' said Rahal, the team’s owner.
'We've learned more about the car this year, I think. Of course, that learning process really took some speed last year, about halfway through the year. We saw the benefits of that at, of course, Indianapolis, where we won.
'Petit Le Mans, we were in the hunt for the lead right until the bitter end. It really came in over the wintertime with what we needed to do with the car to get it where we want it to go.'
Phil Oakley
Indeed, the upward curve from late 2024 carried into the winter months. With a renewed understanding of the M Hybrid V8’s capabilities and weaknesses, the team entered 2025 with quiet confidence. It didn’t take long for that to translate into results, at least on paper.
Leading that charge has been the supremely talented Dries Vanthoor, who wasted no time stamping his authority on the new season. Three consecutive pole positions to open the year spoke volumes about BMW’s qualifying pace and Vanthoor’s deft ability to extract maximum performance.
Alongside the experienced Philipp Eng, the duo has become a formidable weapon in BMW’s GTP campaign.
But racing is about more than qualifying, and this is where the cracks have appeared.
BMW’s struggles haven’t stemmed from a lack of speed or poor strategic acumen. Instead, it’s been the avoidable errors and cruel misfortune that have defined their 2025 campaign so far.
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Uncharacteristic pit lane blunders, costly penalties, and mid-race incidents — some of their own making, others pure bad luck — have repeatedly pulled the rug out from under them.
In Long Beach, a pit stop miscommunication turned a potential podium into a recovery drive. At Sebring and Daytona, a contact incident spiraled into time-consuming repairs.
Phil Oakley
Time and again, just when BMW looked poised to pounce on Porsche’s heels—or perhaps even leapfrog them—something went wrong. Not egregiously wrong, but just enough to snuff out any hope of victory.
'Of course, we've been very fortunate. BMW has given us a great driver lineup," Rahal added.
'We've seen Dries' [Vanthoor] pace in qualifying, and he's obviously the fastest guy out there; that's been a plus. After Long Beach, we've highlighted areas we need to focus on, pit lane in particular.
Phil Oakley
'I think we're going to come to Laguna Seca with some more things on that front. It's just a constant state of trying to improve, not just the car but ourselves.'
The team's next shot comes at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, a circuit that’s been transformed since its repave in 2023. The resurfaced track has brought more grip, more speed, and more possibility. It’s also a place where Rahal believes his team can finally flip the script.
'I think the Laguna [Seca] track, especially since they repaved it, I think that's kind of come into our wheelhouse a little bit,' he said.
'The car has been fast since they've done that. I'm excited about the upcoming week, and I'm looking forward to good things.'
And so, BMW M Team RLL returns to California with unfinished business. Porsche may still be the benchmark, but momentum is building in the BMW camp. They’ve proven they can fight at the front, now they just need to close the deal.
For a team and manufacturer with this much potential and a legacy to uphold, near misses are no longer enough. At Laguna Seca, the time for excuses is over; they simply can't afford any more major errors.
Feature image: BMW