GT stars say IMSA GTP prototype switch is “brutal” but “enjoyable”
GT aces Matt Campbell of Porsche and BMW’s Philipp Eng say their step up to prototype racing has been challenging but claim they’re both ready for January's Daytona 24 Hours.
Australian Campbell, who will race in the new GTP class of the IMSA SportsCar series alongside ex-F1 racer Felipe Nasr in a 963, said the car is “totally different” to what he’s raced before but working on a project from the start has accelerated his learning.
The 963 will make its debut in the season-opening 24-hour race at Daytona after an intense testing programme that has been impacted by the development of IMSA’s new, single-source electrical hybrid system.
“It’s been smoother than expected,” said IMSA's reigning GTD Pro champion Campbell when asked by Autosport about the switch, “But obviously a lot to learn.
“I think I can speak on behalf of the team and the drivers because we’ve still got to learn a lot about the car and its systems. We’re learning together and at a rapid rate, but the transition has been enjoyable so far.
“Obviously it’s totally different from what I’m used to, coming from GT, it’s a big step up, but I’m really enjoying the process and being involved with the factory full-time. So it’s really cool.”
Campbell admitted that the new hybrid system has added to the complication of driving the car, which has led to Porsche issuing a 30-page driver manual for the steering wheel alone.
“For me it’s all new, so I’m trying to get an understanding of all the systems as quickly as possible,” he added.
“Luckily the team is also in the same style of rapid development rate like myself, so along with the more experienced drivers everyone is on the same page and learning together.
“There are new updates every time we drive the car, there’s always something to learn on the steering wheel.”
#24 BMW M Team RLL, BMW M Hybrid V8, GTP: Philipp Eng, Marco Wittmann, Nick Yelloly, Sheldon Van Der Linde
Photo by: Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images
His class rival Eng, who won the GTLM class of the Daytona 24 Hours in 2019 and has raced for BMW in GT3 events around Europe, compared the M Hybrid V8 to his time in the DTM.
“Class 1 was insanely fun, but LMDh is already brutal,” said Eng, who has been testing the car since the summer. “It really demands everything from you as a driver.
“When I ran the first few laps in Aragon, that was really mega! Because of the aerodynamic efficiency, you basically have to tell that the car is still accelerating almost right up to the point of braking. You just have an extreme amount of power. It's a hell of a lot of fun!
“The biggest challenge for me personally in the beginning was getting used to the seating position. You sit in there very differently than in a GT3 or a Class 1 car. You feel like you have relatively little car in front of you because the engine and transmission are behind you. So you also have a different perception of speed.”
Eng will race for BMW's factory Rahal Letterman Lanigan team in the LMDh machine this year, and the car will then also contest the FIA World Endurance Championship with WRT in 2024.
Having tested a Formula 1 car in 2008, as a prize for winning the 2007 Formula BMW World Final, he views sportscar prototypes as the most extreme racing machinery outside of F1: “100 percent. The only driving aid we have is traction control. And you really need that with the performance.”
Related video
IndyCar racer Kirkwood returns to VS Lexus team for Daytona 24 Hours
How Porsche and Penske are gearing up for sportscar racing's bold new era
Daytona 24, Hour 3: Cadillac leads Acura and Porsche
The #01 Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac leads the Acuras of Meyer Shank Racing and Wayne Taylor Racing after three hours of action in the 61st Daytona 24 Hours.
Hughes "happy to feel a nudge" over the line from Evans after Diriyah FE energy shortage
McLaren Formula E driver Jake Hughes says he was "happy to feel a nudge" from Mitch Evans in the Diriyah E-Prix, which pushed him over the finish line for fifth.
Daytona 24, Hour 1: Acura leads, BMW in trouble early
Tom Blomqvist lead the opening hour of the Daytona 24 Hours aboard the Meyer Shank Racing Acura, as BMW became the first of the GTP manufacturers to hit trouble.
F1 champion Button "definitely interested" in NASCAR road course outings
The 2009 Formula 1 World Champion Jenson Button says competing in NASCAR Cup races on road courses is something he is "definitely interested in".
The big question concerning IMSA's new LMDh cars on their debut
The new LMDh era finally begins in earnest this weekend with the IMSA SportsCar Championship curtain-raiser at Daytona. The prospect of multiple marques going all guns blazing for victory over 24 hours is a salivating one for fans of sportscar racing, but what are the chances of the new hybrid machines (known as GTP cars Stateside) proving reliable enough to win on debut?
Inside BMW's long-awaited prototype racing return
Much like German OEM rival Porsche, BMW's absence from sportscar racing’s top flight will be ended this weekend when a pair of M Hybrid V8 prototypes make their debut in the Daytona 24 Hours. A programme focused on the IMSA SportsCar Championship for now will expand to the World Endurance Championship and Le Mans next year, in a sign of both its ambition and pragmatism
How Porsche and Penske are gearing up for sportscar racing's bold new era
Porsche and Penske have teamed up to tackle the world's biggest sportscar races in 2023 with the new 963 LMDh car. Autosport was on hand at the recent Daytona test to hear from key players in the partnership as it prepares for dual campaigns across the IMSA SportsCar Championship and World Endurance Championship
The plug in and play stand-ins who got their timing just right
Nyck de Vries’s Italian GP exploits weren’t the first post-eleventh-hour call-up in motorsport history, and won’t be the last either. Here are some offbeat tales from the past
The long road to convergence for sportscar racing's new golden age
The organisers of the World Endurance Championship and IMSA SportsCar Championship worked together to devise the popular new LMDh rule set. But to turn it from an idea into reality, some serious compromises were involved - both from the prospective LMDh entrants and those with existing Le Mans Hypercar projects...
How Porsche's Le Mans legend changed the game
The 956 set the bar at the dawn of Group C 40 years ago, and that mark only rose higher through the 1980s, both in the world championship and in the US. It and its successor, the longer-wheelbase 962, were voted as Autosport's greatest sportscar in 2020 - here's why
Why BMW shouldn't be overlooked on its return to prototypes
OPINION: While the focus has been on the exciting prospect of Ferrari vs Porsche at the Le Mans 24 Hours next year, BMW’s factory return to endurance racing should not be ignored. It won't be at the French classic next year as it focuses efforts on the IMSA SportsCar Championship, but could be a dark horse in 2024 when it returns to La Sarthe with the crack WRT squad
The British pair at the heart of Lexus's IMSA push
Have you heard the one about two northerners driving for a Japanese manufacturer in America’s top sportscar series? Time to sit down and talk with Jack Hawksworth and Ben Barnicoat about racing across the pond… and your accent being mistaken for Australian
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.