2025 Spa 24 Hours winner Jordan Pepper will join BMW M Motorsport as a works driver for the 2026 season, adding one of GT3’s most in-form talents to an already heavyweight factory roster. The South African will race the BMW M4 GT3 EVO, with his full programme to be confirmed.

A major signing for BMW

Pepper’s arrival continues BMW’s recent streak of high-profile additions, joining Kelvin van der Linde, Robin Frijns, Kevin Magnussen, Raffaele Marciello, René Rast, Dries Vanthoor, and Charles Weerts, amongst other proven champions. His 2025 campaign, highlighted by Spa victory and a DTM race win and a run at the championship, made him one of the standout GT drivers of the year.

Proven across manufacturers

The 29-year-old brings a résumé that spans multiple brands and major endurance wins. Alongside this year’s Spa triumph with Lamborghini, Pepper won the 2020 Bathurst 12 Hour with Bentley and the 2024 Petit Le Mans GTD Pro class. He was GT World Challenge America champion in 2021 and finished runner-up in both GT World Challenge Europe Sprint (2025) and Endurance (2024).

BMW and Pepper react

Andreas Roos, Head of BMW M Motorsport, said: “In the coming season, we will once again undertake a very extensive racing programme with our BMW M4 GT3 EVO. Our goal is always to compete at the highest level in the best GT racing series in the world and fight for victories and titles. To achieve this, we need a driver line-up that is both large and of the highest quality. Jordan Pepper fits our requirements perfectly. Over the years, he has established himself as one of the top GT3 drivers. His performances, especially in the past two seasons, have been impressive. I am very pleased to welcome him to the BMW M Motorsport family and look forward to many shared successes in the future.”

Jordan Pepper added: “It’s very exciting to begin a new chapter of my career with BMW M Motorsport. In South Africa, BMW is a very prestigious brand that I grew up with and always admired. My path into professional racing in Europe, however, took me through other manufacturers. Now I have the opportunity to drive for BMW M Motorsport, and I’m extremely excited about it. Over the years, I’ve seen how strong they are as competitors, and now I’m looking forward to driving the BMW M4 GT3 EVO for the first time. I know that adapting to a new car is always a challenge, and I’ll need to get used to the car over the winter but I generally like this type of car, as I’ve spent much of my career in similar cars. I can’t wait to work with all the great drivers at BMW M Motorsport – including, of course, Sheldon and Kelvin van der Linde. We’ve known each other since we were kids and are good friends. We’ve always dreamed of winning races together. Now we’re with the same manufacturer, and hopefully, we’ll get the chance to make that dream come true someday.”