Following the postponement of the Qatar 1812km, the 2026 World Endurance Championship season will get underway at Imola. It was on the Italian circuit that manufacturing facility BMW driver Robin Frijns secured his greatest Hypercar end in 2025, ending second.
Throughout this week’s Prologue — additionally held at Imola as a result of struggle within the Center East — the up to date BMW M V8 Hybrid confirmed sturdy tempo with the fourth-fastest time.
Nonetheless, the primary two years of BMW’s Hypercar undertaking within the WEC haven’t been simple, notably because the workforce struggled through the second half of the 2025 season. In an interview with Motorsport.com, Frijns described his first two years with the workforce as “not that nice”.
“You don’t count on to be preventing on the entrance immediately within the first 12 months,” Frijns mirrored. “However we did make good progress in that first season. In the direction of the top of the 12 months, we have been pretty aggressive, though we additionally had points, like in Bahrain, the place we have been working fourth earlier than a turbo drawback.
“The next 12 months, we truly began fairly strongly. However then we dropped off a bit, which was disappointing. Everybody retains growing, however I really feel like we typically stand nonetheless a bit an excessive amount of,” the 34-year-old stated, stating an space for enchancment for the German producer.
Frijns appears again on his first two years with BMW within the WEC with combined emotions.
Picture by: Andreas Beil
Looking for solutions
This 12 months, BMW has launched an Evo replace within the hope of unlocking extra efficiency, though it stays to be seen in Imola whether or not it delivers the specified outcomes. The workforce appeared “fairly good” on the Daytona 24 Hours — the opening spherical of the IMSA championship — in response to Frijns, however the 12 Hours of Sebring confirmed there may be nonetheless extra to achieve.
“I really feel like we don’t absolutely perceive the automobile but,” stated Frijns. “And the place we have to enhance it. It’s a posh machine, however I’m right here to struggle on the entrance and win races. That hasn’t actually been the case to this point.”
Requested additional concerning the issue in figuring out the automobile’s points, Frijns admitted it’s a “tough” matter.
“It’s not a easy recreation,” he stated. “If we’re gradual, it’s not only a case of ‘we have now an issue, we repair it’. If it have been that simple, everybody would do it. It’s a posh puzzle, so it’s not simple to pinpoint precisely the place we have to enhance.”
Enhancing race tempo
With the up to date M V8 Hybrid, BMW has additionally made important aerodynamic modifications to its LMDh automobile. Frijns defined that the primary focus has been on enhancing race efficiency.
“The automobile was fairly okay in qualifying, however we regularly dropped again within the races. That’s what we’ve tried to repair,” he stated. “So, I don’t actually count on us to have the identical qualifying efficiency as final 12 months, however I do hope we’ll be stronger when it comes to race tempo.”
Regardless of the work executed on the automobile, Frijns is aware of expectations stay excessive, together with from himself. He says he’s at all times making an attempt “to study extra” about how the automobile works.
“You at all times attempt to enhance the scenario you’re in and develop your self as effectively. You by no means drive an ideal lap in your life. It’s important to take advantage of what you’ve acquired.”
A tough problem
Frijns hopes that BMW can compete extra constantly on the entrance for podium finishes this 12 months.
Picture by: James Moy Images through Getty Photographs
Frijns does take some confidence from final 12 months’s second place at Imola, though there are nonetheless many query marks over this 12 months’s Hypercar efficiency, particularly with a number of producers introducing updates.
“I hope it will likely be the identical [as last year],” he laughed, including that the outcome was not simply all the way down to luck, but in addition BMW’s technique. “We actually need to struggle for a number of podiums. Over the past two years, we’ve scored two podiums in WEC. We positively need to construct on that and obtain extra.”
Frijns is evident about his targets and expectations for the season.
“I am going into each race weekend aiming for the rostrum and to win,” he stated. “However you additionally should be reasonable — after the primary two apply classes, roughly the place you stand. Should you begin the weekend within the prime 5, you’ve gotten an opportunity of a great outcome. Should you’re not within the prime ten, it’s going to be very tough.”
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Imola – Friday, in pictures
Learn Additionally:
We would like your opinion!
What would you wish to see on Motorsport.com?
– The Motorsport.com Crew
