BMW Team WRT Clinches Victory at the 2025 Bathurst 12 Hour as Van der Linde Brothers and Augusto Farfus Dominate the Field

The 2025 Bathurst 12 Hour was an exciting season opener for the Intercontinental GT Challenge (IGTC), with BMW emerging as the team to beat.

The Van der Linde brothers, Kelvin and Sheldon, alongside Brazilian driver Augusto Farfus, claimed victory in a thrilling race, finishing ahead of their BMW teammates Raffaele Marciello, Valentino Rossi, and Charles Weerts.

The race was incredibly close, with only 10 seconds separating the no. 32 and no. 46 BMW M4 GT3s at the finish line.

Kenny Habul, Jules Gounon, and Luca Stolz kept the pressure on, finishing just one second behind in third place.

Although BMW had never won the Bathurst 12 Hour in the GT3 era, they certainly proved their dominance by claiming the top spots in 2025.

Van der Linde Brothers Make History

An exciting piece of history was made when Kelvin and Sheldon Van der Linde became the first brothers to share a winning car at Bathurst since David and Geoff Brabham in 1997.

The victory marked another milestone for the Van der Linde family and BMW, further solidifying their place in the Bathurst 12 Hour legacy.

While Craft-Bamboo’s Mercedes-AMG led the race from pole position, they were soon overtaken by Chaz Mostert, who set a strong pace at the front.

However, the Mercedes-AMG crew had to contend with several Safety Car periods, which allowed BMW’s M4s to take the lead.

By mid-afternoon, it was clear that the BMW Team WRT cars were the ones to watch, with both the no. 46 and no. 32 BMWs holding strong positions throughout the race.

A Close Battle for Second Place

As the race progressed, BMW maintained their steady pace while other teams fought for second place.

WRT’s other BMW M4, driven by Raffaele Marciello, Valentino Rossi, and Charles Weerts, eventually secured second place, after Marciello passed Jules Gounon in a dramatic move around the outside of the kink in the final 10 minutes of the race.

Meanwhile, the no. 75 Express Mercedes-AMG, driven by Habul, Stolz, and Gounon, remained a consistent threat.

They managed to stay on the lead lap, thanks to a crucial strategy call that allowed them to close the gap.

Their challenge was further helped by a late pit stop from the Arise Ferrari team, which gave them a shot at the podium.

The Final Hour and Some Drama

The final hour of the race saw some intense action, as Chaz Mostert briefly took the lead from Kelvin Van der Linde.

However, WRT’s strategy and pace meant they weren’t worried, knowing that the Ferrari would have to make a late fuel stop.

As the race came to a close, it was clear that BMW had the upper hand, with the Van der Linde brothers and Farfus crossing the line in first, followed by their teammates in second.

There was no shortage of drama at Mount Panorama, with a few notable retirements.

GruppeM’s Mercedes-AMG had a heavy crash exiting The Chase, and the Jamec/MPC Audi, which had qualified in second, found itself stuck in the gravel trap, ending its race early.

Looking Ahead to the Next IGTC Events

With the 2025 Bathurst 12 Hour behind them, the IGTC moves on to the ADAC Ravenol 24h Nürburgring from June 19-22, followed by the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa the following weekend.

The action is far from over, and fans can expect more high-octane racing as the season progresses.

This article was published on TDPel Media. Thanks for reading!

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