• The BMW Junior Team Program has achieved its main goal and turned young talents into experienced drivers.
• Dan Harper, Max Hesse and Neil Verhagen will continue to drive as part of the BMW Junior Team, but will also take part in the new trials as works drivers of the BMW M.
• 2023 at the Nürburgring 24 Hours BMW Junior Team Team is once again fighting for the podium with the BMW M Team RMG.
Munich. When the BMW Junior Team had its preliminary assembly in Munich (GER) in December 2019 after which met up once more quickly after for the primary education camp at Formula Medicine in Viareggio (ITA), there had been excessive hopes for a repeat of the fulfillment tale of the mythical 1977 education programme. Three years later, the ones hopes have grow to be reality. Dan Harper (GBR), Max Hesse (GER) and Neil Verhagen (USA) have lived as much as their predecessors and are a credit score to their mentor Jochen Neerpasch, and, after excessive education years, have formally grow to be BMW M works drivers in 2023. They will continue to be as a group and preserve to compete in race highlights which includes the 24 Hours Nürburgring (GER) as BMW Junior Team, however their advertising to the works driving force squad additionally offers the trio new opportunities.
As in 2021 and 2022, Harper, Hesse and Verhagen will again this season compete with the in the legendary Nordschleife endurance race alongside BMW M Team RMG with the aim of achieving a podium finish. In the past two years, the trio has achieved 4,444 victories in the Green Hell with both the BMW M6 GT3 and the BMW M4 GT3 – 4,444. They are even the youngest overall winners of the NLS race other than the Nürburgring at the circuits. In addition, individual appearances as as part of their driving profession will be possible in the future. For example, in December 2022, a Harper competed in the 12 Hours of the Bay in Abu Dhabi (UAE) for Century Motorsport. Gessen will start this weekend at the 24 Hours of Dubai (UAE) and Verhagen at the race in Dayton (USA). driving the new BMW M4 GT4 in the BMW M Endurance Challenge at the end of January. In addition to the races, Harper, Hesse and Verhagen will also take part in a large number of tests on different racing cars. All three drivers were already actively involved in the development of the new BMW M4 GT4. As a works driver of the
BMW M, you also have the opportunity to represent the brand at various events.
The trio went through an intensive and varied training path from talented youngster to BMW M works driver. A key element was the regular fitness and mental training camps of with Formula Medicine experts. There was also intensive collaboration with BMW M Motorsport engineers, various BMW M Motorsport teams and experienced BMW M works drivers to improve their technical understanding of motorsport. The team building aspect was equally important to the program leaders. Harper, Hesse and Verhagen have lived with the in a shared apartment at the Nürburgring for most of the past three years, where they have become a true unit off the track, just as they did at the hour race Nürburgring 2020, overall wins in the NLS 2021 and 24-hour qualifying 2022 as well as strong results in the GT World Challenge Europe, including the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (BEL) with ROWE Racing lasted years. The BMW Junior Team also tested a rpm BMW M Hybrid V8 prototype.
Quotes on the BMW Junior Team:
Andreas Roos (Head of BMW M Motorsport): “Dan Harper, Max Hesse and Neil Verhagen are one of BMW M Motorsport’s biggest success stories in recent years. With their team spirit and their performances on the racetrack, they ensured that Jochen Neerpasch and the people in charge at the time were absolutely right to bring the legendary BMW Junior Team back. I think that the lads and everyone involved can be very proud of what they have achieved. I’m delighted to have three such young, talented drivers in our works driver squad. They are a perfect fit for what I believe to be our very good mix of youth and experience. I can’t wait to see how the BMW Junior Team’s journey progresses in 2023.”
Jochen Neerpasch (Founder and Mentor of the BMW Junior Team): “Our Juniors have reached the first major milestone through intensive teamwork. They have joined the phalanx of BMW M Motorsport works drivers. But the team’s training continues. The goal is to help Max, Dan and Neil become a winning team in the major races in motorsport. My personal wish is to see the
three of them celebrating on the top step of the podium at Le Mans. On the way they will continue to compete as BMW Junior Team in 2023, and gain experience.”
Dirk Adorf (Mentor of the BMW Junior Team): “We have been on a journey with the BMW Junior Team that has been as exciting as it has been successful up to this point. The guys have worked their way through all the vehicle classes at the Nordschleife and, as the youngest GT3 race winners of all time, are now one of the very best teams. Our Juniors placed their trust in us at the start of the programme, not knowing what the future held. And BMW M Motorsport also placed their trust in them, fielding them in the top cars and top race series. After three years it is fair to say that the revival of the BMW Junior Team has been a real success. I’m excited to see how things progress in the coming years.”
Dan Harper: “It has been a fantastic three years with the BMW Junior Team. Just taking part in this programme, and now my first official works driver contract, have been a dream come true for my family and me. There have been so many highlights during the training phase so far: the class win at the 24h Nürburgring, our trip to 24h Daytona, the battle for the podium at the 24h SpaFrancorchamps until just before the end, and the first outing in the BMW M Hybrid V8. I am very grateful for all these opportunities and hope that this is just the beginning of a long partnership.”
Max Hesse: “Since sitting in a kart, my dream has been to make it as a works driver for a manufacturer. It’s fantastic to have now achieved that goal. I can only thank all those in charge at BMW M Motorsport and Jochen Neerpasch for selecting Dan, Neil and me for this fantastic programme. I believe it was a brilliant selection because the three of us have got on really well on a personal level throughout. Whether on the racetrack, at the fitness camps or at our home, we have worked together terrifically as a team and have formed a very close personal bond. I’m very grateful to Dan and Neil for this. There has never been any egoism or internal competition. We have always pulled together. Which made us strong and obviously convinced BMW M Motorsport that we have what it takes to be works drivers. Hopefully we will be able to continue this successful collaboration for many years to come.”
Neil Verhagen: “I have learned an incredible amount these past three years. It was a privilege to work alongside experienced teams. I can’t thank BMW M Motorsport, in particular Jochen Neerpasch, Dirk Adorf and Sven Bluszcz, enough for their trust and their support. I think that Dan, Max and I have proved what we are capable of, and have now been rewarded for this with the works contracts. I always dreamed of being able to make a career out of my passion. Now I have achieved this major goal. I’m really looking forward to my racing programme in the coming years.”