BMW M Team WRT has spent much of the last three seasons trying to turn the potential of the BMW M Hybrid V8 into results. In 2026, the results have finally followed.
A one-two finish at Spa-Francorchamps was followed by second place at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and another win at São Paulo, giving BMW two victories and three consecutive top-two finishes in the World Endurance Championship.
For Adam Hardy (BMW M Team WRT Lead Engineer), the São Paulo victory was important for another reason: it confirmed that Spa and Le Mans had not been isolated performances.
“Spa wasn’t a fluke, Le Mans wasn’t a fluke. We’ve now gone three races […] and we should be considered a genuine contender.”
In the second episode of The Stint Podcast, BMW M Team WRT Lead Engineer Adam Hardy joins Thibaut Villemant to explain what has changed inside the programme.
Reliability has been one of the major factors. After two difficult seasons, Hardy explains how progress in that area has allowed WRT to spend less time reacting to technical problems and more time preparing the details that ultimately decide races.
He also discusses BMW’s aerodynamic update over the winter, which he believes has made the M Hybrid V8 a better race car, even if he readily admits there is still performance to find.
But Hardy believes the first signs of that progress actually appeared much earlier, at Daytona.
Taking over BMW’s IMSA programme for 2026 meant effectively building a new operation in North America, but it also brought the WEC and IMSA engineering groups together. For Hardy, whose new role was specifically created to link the two programmes, the benefits quickly became apparent.
“We’ve just basically doubled our workforce, doubled our brain capacity.”
Among the topics discussed:
• Why São Paulo confirmed BMW’s progress was no fluke
• How improved reliability has changed the way WRT operates
• Why the BMW M Hybrid V8 has become a better race car in 2026
• The role execution played in the victories
• Why Hardy believes the turning point actually came at Daytona
• The benefits of running the BMW M Hybrid V8 in both WEC and IMSA with the same team
• His decision to leave Porsche Penske Motorsport and return to WRT
• How close BMW came to winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans — and how Toyota used its two cars to its advantage
Listen to the full episode
Key quotes
“Spa wasn’t a fluke, Le Mans wasn’t a fluke.”
“We’ve just basically doubled our workforce, doubled our brain capacity.”
“I don’t think we’ve got the quickest car right now. I still think there’s work to do.”
Missed our first episode?
In the first episode of The Stint Podcast, Toyota Racing Technical Director David Floury joined Thibaut Villemant just one week after the 24 Hours of Le Mans to explain how Toyota returned to the top at La Sarthe after a four-year wait.
Listen to the full episode: How Toyota Won the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans | David Floury
About The Stint Podcast
The Stint Podcast brings you exclusive conversations with the people who shape endurance racing, from drivers and engineers to team principals and technical leaders.