Raffaele Marciello has transitioned into prototype cars over the past couple of seasons, combining that with his efforts in GT machinery.
The Swiss driver adapted very quickly, first competing in LMP2 in IMSA last season before becoming part of BMW’s Hypercar effort in the World Endurance Championship.
Marciello teamed up with Dries Vanthoor and Marco Wittmann in the No. 15 car and the trio have developed over the season.
WEC is a very difficult championship and even more tricky than in previous years, with so many top manufacturers such as Porsche and Toyota in the Hypercar class.
They suffered a difficult start to the season, retiring at Le Mans and not scoring points in the opening four rounds of the championship.
Marciello told sportscar365 that BMW have improved in one particular aspect of the car this season, which has helped the Swiss driver improve.
Raffaele Marciello explained BMW’s improvement in braking has been a ‘big help’
The margins are so fine in the Hypercar class that any weakness in the car will be more pronounced, particularly with more experienced manufacturers such as Toyota making few errors.
BMW have lacked the raw speed to challenge for victories over a race distance but have been slowly improving.
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The German manufacturer scored second place with the No. 15 car at Fuji Speedway last time out. Despite BMW taking the podium, they took a slice of luck as Porsche and Ferrari suffered retirements.
Braking in particular is very difficult to manage with no abs and the hybrid system, which has been a complicated aspect for BMW.
The Swiss driver said BMW’s improved braking capabilities allowed Marciello to adjust to the Hypercar class and WEC.
He said: “We improved this area in the car quite a lot. So for sure this was also a big, big help from the car towards me, let’s say. So now it’s getting better [and] I think it’s fine.
“We still need to fine tune the car at the end because it’s our first season in WEC. So it’s always a discovery, but it’s getting better every time.
“We showed a great pace in Austin, in Fuji, so it’s getting better and better. It’s not easy to fully adapt and change your driving style, so let’s say it was 50-50 of the car improving, me adapting a bit, so it’s getting better now.”
BMW may be able to capitalise on other teams lacking pace in Bahrain
The World Endurance Championship campaign is ending this weekend with the 8 Hours of Bahrain and 1.5x points are available as it is longer than the usual six hours.
BMW and Marciello will be looking to end the season in a high, and may be able to capitalise on other teams lacking speed.
The track is very difficult as the abrasive surface makes it very difficult to manage the tyres over a stint, and Sebastien Bourdais isn’t overly optimistic about Cadillac’s chances in Bahrain.
BMW have the opportunity to usurp Alpine to fourth place this weekend in the Manufacturer’s Championship as they are just three points behind the French team.