The 2025 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship roared into the streets of Long Beach with BMW M Team RLL asserting dominance in the opening practice session. Sheldon van der Linde, making his Long Beach debut, set the pace in the No. 25 BMW M Hybrid V8 with a blistering lap of 1:13.241, edging out teammate Dries Vanthoor in the No. 24 machine by just 0.136 seconds.
Van der Linde’s impressive time came late in the 60-minute session, just before a brief red flag caused by debris, presumably from his own car after an incident at Turn 9. Despite the interruption, the BMW duo maintained their top positions, showcasing the team’s strength on the tight and technical Long Beach circuit.
Renger van der Zande secured third in the No. 93 Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-06, followed closely by the Porsche Penske Motorsport entries: Mathieu Jaminet in the No. 6 and Nick Tandy in the No. 7.
In the GTD class, Laurens Vanthoor led the field in the No. 177 AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R, clocking a 1:18.584 lap. Parker Thompson in the No. 12 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 and Philip Ellis in the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 rounded out the top three.
Notably, Robert Wickens made a commendable return to Long Beach, completing 13 laps in the DXDT Racing Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R. His co-driver, Tommy Milner, placed fourth in GTD with a best time of 1:19.023, while Wickens’ best lap was within a second and a half of Milner’s, indicating promising pace for the duo.
The session was not without incidents; Jordan Taylor went off at Turn 1 in the No. 40 Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac, and Roman De Angelis had a similar excursion in his Aston Martin Valkyrie.
As teams prepare for the next practice session, BMW M Team RLL’s strong performance sets a high benchmark for the competition.
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