ROWE RACING ends another strong season in the GT World Challenge Europe with disappointment in Saudi Arabia

ROWE RACING’s 2024 season came to a bitter end in Saudi Arabia. Just over an hour into the six‑hour season finale of the GT World Challenge Europe in Jeddah, British driver Dan Harper was forced to retire the #998 BMW M4 GT3, operated by the team from St. Ingbert, due to a broken right rear suspension. The damage occurred when another car crashed into the rear of the BMW at the start of a full course yellow period. This incident also prematurely ended ROWE RACING’s battle for the Endurance Cup team title.

Dan Harper had only recently taken over the car from Brazilian Augusto Farfus, who had moved up from 11th on the grid to eighth on the opening lap and climbed to fifth before the first pit stop. German driver Max Hesse did not get the chance to complete any race laps at the team’s debut on the ultra‑fast Formula 1 street circuit located on the Red Sea coast.

The GT World Challenge Europe season had begun perfectly for ROWE RACING with a victory by Augusto Farfus, Dan Harper and Max Hesse in the #998 BMW M4 GT3 at Le Castellet in southern France. However, setbacks repeatedly tested the team’s morale. At the season’s highlight event, the 24 Hours of Spa, a late tyre puncture denied the #998 BMW M4 GT3 a podium finish after a technical failure had already forced the retirement of the #98 BMW M4 GT3. At the team’s home race at the Nürburgring, the #98 BMW M4 GT3 finished fifth, but the sister car, which had started further up the grid, was spun by a competitor and fell far back. At Monza, a technical issue slowed down Augusto Farfus, Dan Harper and Max Hesse.

Despite these setbacks, ROWE RACING travelled to Jeddah with the chance of securing another podium finish in the overall Endurance Cup team’s standings, following their second place last year, or even to claim the title for the first time. However, after the unfortunate retirement, the St. Ingbert team ultimately finished in seventh place. In the drivers’ standings, Augusto Farfus, Dan Harper and Max Hesse concluded the season in eighth position.

Hans-Peter Naundorf, Team Principal ROWE RACING: “It’s somewhat symbolic that this season ends like this. It started perfectly with the Le Castellet victory, but after that, we had a lot of bad luck with retirements, tyre failures, unavoidable contacts, and accidents. The performance was always there, and we could fight at the front, but you can’t control such things. It’s tough for the team; you feel powerless. Even though you’re doing a good job, the results are missing. The team had to endure a lot, but the fact that we still managed to deliver every time and once again fought for the title until the very last race of the season shows how strong our team is.“

Dan Harper (#998 ROWE RACING BMW M4 GT3): “After a difficult weekend up until qualifying we were happy with P11 in qualifying. Augusto did a great job in the beginning because it is obviously so tight here. A lot can happen. He stayed clean and gained a couple of positions. It was perfect. Unfortunately then when I got in the car there was a full course yellow very quickly. I was just settling into the rhythm. Coming from turn three into four, the car in front of me braked for the countdown so I also braked at the same point as him, but then I got hit from behind. I have been never hit so hard in my life actually, so it kind of hurt initially but thankfully I’m okay now, but the car couldn’t continue, the suspension was broken. It’s just a shame for everybody. Obviously it’s a long way to come here and it’s a cool race so it’s a shame that it ended early for us.”