BMW has signed Robin Frijns to its factory driver programme, and will take a role in testing the German manufacturer’s M Hybrid V8 prototype, which Frijns’s current team WRT will race in the FIA World Endurance Championship ‘s Hypercar class next year.
Frijns previously raced in Formula BMW Europe, and won the title in 2010, the series’ last year of operation. Since then, he’s raced in a variety of machinery, making a name for himself as a works Audi driver in DTM and GT3 racing.
BMW, meanwhile, has been ramping up its squad of factory drivers, ready for its WEC assault next year together with WRT. In particular, the Munich manufacturer has signed many former Audi drivers, and Frijns’ former teammates, including Dries Vanthoor, Rene Rast, and Charles Weerts.
Additionally, BMW has other drivers on its roster, including Sheldon van der Linde, Maxime Martin, and new Formula E world champion Jake Dennis. The final lineup for the programme has not been confirmed, but is extremely likely to include Frijns.
Frijns has been racing in the WEC this year, in the #41 WRT Oreca 07-Gibson, alongside Sean Galael and Ferdinand Habsburg. The trio lie eighth in the standings, with 52 points. Frijns, Habsburg and former teammate Charles Milesi won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2021 with WRT, along with the LMP2 title.
He’s also been racing in Formula E for Abt Sportsline this year, but it has not been a successful year for the Dutchman, scoring just six points. He was also injured on the opening lap of the season opener and spent four races on the sidelines recovering. For next season he is heading back to Envision, his former team, to replace Jaguar-bound Nick Cassidy. MotorsportWeek.com has learnt this is in part due to Frijns’s new BMW contract.
“With his versatility and wealth of experience in prototype racing, Robin Frijns is a fantastic addition to our squad of works drivers”, said Andreas Roos, head of BMW M Motorsport.
“He will initially be involved in the test programme with the BMW M Hybrid V8 for WEC. He knows the team and the race series very well and can certainly make a valuable contribution to a successful preparation for the 2024 season.
A glance at his previous successes shows that Frijns is also an extremely good GT driver. However, we will make a decision regarding any possible race outings at a later date. First of all, we are very pleased to have him with us in the BMW M Motorsport family.”
Frijns, meanwhile, said: “It is fantastic to return to BMW M Motorsport after so many years – the place it all started for me in Formula BMW Europe. I am looking forward to the new challenges, which will include being part of the test programme for the WEC entry in 2024 with the BMW M Hybrid V8.
“The prospect of driving this car and, in doing so, becoming part of a new golden era of motor racing is great motivation.”
Keyword: BMW signs Frijns as factory driver for WEC Hypercar programme