BMW WRT team principal Vincent Vosse specified the final full-course-yellow in the 8 Hours of Bahrain was untimely to their podium pursual.
The Bavarian manufacturer suffered a difficult race at the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship season finale.
Both BMW’s M4 LMGT3s were unable to reach the Hyperpole session during qualifying, whilst both M Hybrid V8 Hypercars managed to do so.
In the race, the LMGT3s were uncompetitive and the #20 BMW suffered a drivetrain failure which sent it into retirement just before the fifth hour.
“It was a tough race”, said Vosse.
“We were in a position to fight for the podium again, which is good.
“Unfortunately, we were a bit unlucky with the last full-course-yellow [FCY] and were not able to hold our position until the end.
“But P6 is still a good result.
“On the LMGT3 side, we just didn’t have the pace all weekend to fight for the podium.”
BMW aims for consecutive WEC podium
BMW’s Hypercars qualified ninth and 10th positions, with the #15 – which took the maiden podium in Fuji – ahead of the #20 car.
The #87 Lexus RC F LMGT3 stopped on the runoff area next to the straight after Turn 10, thus triggering the second FCY.
Following the #20’s retirement, the #15 BMW was their best hope of fighting for a podium having driven up there earlier on.
There were tense fights for the positions just beneath the podium.
The likes of Antonio Giovinazzi, Jenson Button, Laurens Vanthoor and Paul-Loup Chatin were the protagonists of the main fight for P4.
Tyre management underlined the key to consistent pace after seven hours of racing in the Bahraini heat and humidity.
BMW’s #15 could not assert the pace needed by the end to claim a podium with no further disruption to lend them another chance in the final hour.
Raffaele Marciello, who co-driven the #15 with Dries Vanthoor and Marco Wittmann, was optimistic about the result.
“Today we could have finished better than P6.
“But looking at the bigger picture, we have to see the positives.
“Now we are disappointed with P6, a position that was far away at the beginning of the season.
“We improved a lot since Qatar and were able to fight for top positions regularly in the second half of the season.
“We must take this and move on towards the next season.”
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