JAN 20, 2020
2020 is already shaping up to be an exciting and prominent year for Motul and the news that it has agreed a partnership with BMW M Motorsport is fundamental to this. The agreement sees Motul become an Official Partner to BMW M Motorsport, providing technical co- operation, expertise and support to the successful BMW M Motorsport racing program in North America.
Announced at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the opening round of the 2020 IMSA WeatherTechSportsCar Championship and scene of BMW Team RLL’s 2019 victory, Motul is, of course, nostranger to America’s leading sportscar racing series. Motul has been IMSA’s official lubricantpartner and title sponsor of the prestigious Motul Petit Le Mans event for the last three years, but the new agreement sees Motul’s technical competition involvement step up significantly.
Motul aim to develop with BMW M Motorsport at the marque’s headquarters in Munich, Germany, a tailor made lubricant specially formulated to suit the BMW M8 GTE’s V8 twin turbopowered engine. BMW Team RLL, the Ohio-based team which was formed in 2009 by racing legend Bobby Rahal and which is entering its 12th consecutive season with BMW, will compete in the IMSA WeatherTech season with two GTLM entries which will be known as Motul BMW M8 GTEs.
Guillaume Pailleret, Motul President of Americas commented: “There are events in a brand’slife that we know can be so strong that they can disrupt its routine to the point where it starts talking to its very DNA. That partnership is, undoubtedly, one of them. There already is a huge growing appeal for Motul from the BMW M fans, and that partnership will be one hell of an avenue to feed it with extraordinary endurance racing. Though beyond that, this is one partnership between two brands that fully embrace the fact that mobility is changing tremendously, and that innovation is the cornerstone of success in it, for all. That partnership will speed up our focus on Innovation, and R&D investments in many aspects of automobileperformance, and racing!”
Jens Marquardt, BMW Group Motorsport Director added: "We are delighted to welcome Motul as a new partner for our activities with BMW of North America in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. It is great to start a new chapter in our partnership that dates back to the 1980s, when BMW and Motul successfully collaborated in racing. For decades, Motul has been a force on the highest level of motorsports. We are looking forward to a successful partnership."
The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship begins with the 24-hour event at Daytona International Speedway on January 25/26, 2020 and then comprises 11 further rounds in the USA and Canada. It ends with the 10-hour Motul Petit Le Mans on October 10, 2020. BMW Team RLL will be competing in the hotly-contested GTLM category alongside factory programs from Corvette, Ferrari and Porsche.
See the Official Motul Press Release here
