BMW works driver Bruno Spengler will also compete in the Super GT series in 2024: What his program looks like and why he won’t be able to defend his title in Italy
Ex-DTM crowd favorite Bruno Spengler, who won the sprint title in the Italian GT Championship in 2023, will also be competing in the BMW M4 GT3 in 2024. The 40-year-old Canadian, who has been confirmed as a BMW works driver, was once again presented by BMW Team Studie as a driver for the Japanese Super GT series on Friday.
“I’m super happy to be driving again this year in the Super GT series for my Japanese family from BMW Team Studie,” said Spengler on Instagram, expressing his excitement about competing in the GT300 class. “I will be sharing the car with legends Seiji Ara and Niklas Krütten.”
In contrast to last year, Spengler will be the third driver – and will definitely be on the grid at the three-hour endurance races in Suzuka, Fuji and Autopolis. However, it cannot be ruled out that he will take part in other races
Krütten as Spengler team-mate in Japan: “Harmonizes well “
The 49-year-old Ara, who won in Audi’s LMP1 car at Le Mans in 2004, will have ADAC GT Masters racer Niklas Krütten as his permanent team-mate this year. The 21-year-old from Trier, who raced for WRT in the GT World Challenge Europe last year and won the Gold Cup, is “extremely” looking forward to the Japanese adventure.
“I’ve never been to Asia before and so far I’ve only heard good things about Japan, the culture and the racing scene, because motorsport is still really celebrated there,” says Krütten, who will also be moving into an apartment in Tokyo.
Apart from sharing the cockpit with a Japanese legend, he is also looking forward to working with Spengler in his third year in the M4 GT3: “You don’t have to say much about Bruno: he was DTM champion – and was always at the front. I’ve already got to know him and I think we’ll harmonize very well. “
Why Spengler cannot defend the Italian sprint title
Apropos: What does Spengler’s further program for the 2024 season look like? The 2012 DTM champion, who contested almost no races at BMW in 2022 but all the more in 2023, has not yet been confirmed for any other championships apart from the Super GT series.
A title defense in Italy would be obvious. The problem, however, is that the Super GT races at Fuji (May 3-4) and Suzuka (June 1-2) overlap with the first two of four sprint weekends of the Italian GT Championship. It will therefore be interesting to see what alternative program BMW has in store for Spengler in 2024
