Charles Weerts (born 1 March 2001) is a Belgian racing driver who currently competes in the GT World Challenge Europe.[1] On December 8 2022 Weerts was announced as a factory driver for BMW M Motorsport where he'll continue to drive for Team WRT.[2]
| Charles Weerts | |
|---|---|
 Weerts in 2023 | |
| Nationality |  Belgian |
| Born | 1 March 2001 Verviers, Belgium |
| GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup career | |
| Debut season | 2020 |
| Current team | Team WRT |
| Racing licence |  FIA Platinum |
| Car number | 32 |
| Starts | 42 |
| Wins | 12 |
| Podiums | 24 |
| Poles | 5 |
| Previous series | |
| ADAC Formula 4 Formula 4 UAE Championship | 2017–2018 2016–2018 |
| Championship titles | |
| 2017–18 2020-2022 | Formula 4 UAE Championship GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup |
| GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup career | |
| Debut season | 2019 |
| Current team | Belgian Audi Club Team WRT |
| Car number | 32 |
| Starts | 21 |
| Wins | 1 |
| Podiums | 4 |
| Poles | 2 |
| Last updated on: 8 June 2023. | |
Career
Junior formula
Weerts made his single-seater debut in 2017, joining Team Motopark for the 2017 ADAC Formula 4 season, alongside the final three races of the Formula 4 UAE Championship.[3][4] During the 2017 ADAC F4 season, he would score 22nd in the overall classification and second in the Rookie Championship, scoring just three points towards the drivers' title. The following Formula 4 UAE season, Weerts was crowned series champion, sweeping the final quadruple-header round at Dubai Autodrome en route to a 50-point points lead over second-placed David Schumacher.[5] However, the victory would mark Weerts' final season with Team Motopark, as he would switch to Van Amersfoort Racing for the 2018 ADAC Formula 4 season.[6][7] After finishing 5th in points, securing one win and four podiums, Weerts would leave the team at the conclusion of the 2018 season.
Sports cars
2019 saw Weerts explore a new discipline of motorsport, joining Belgian Audi Club Team WRT for the 2019 Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup campaign.[8] After a lackluster 2019 season which saw Weerts' entries score a solitary point across five races, he was paired with Dries Vanthoor for full season campaigns in both series during 2020.[9] After scoring two wins and six podiums in 10 races, Vanthoor and Weerts claimed the Sprint Cup title in the Pro category.[10][11] Following his title, Weerts was promoted to Audi factory driver status for 2021.[12] He began the team's title defense on a high note, taking pole for the opening race of the weekend at Magny-Cours,[13] before going on to win Saturday's event, further adding a podium finish the following afternoon.[14] Following the fourth round at Brands Hatch, Weerts and Vanthoor successfully defended their Sprint Cup title.[15] In 2022 Weerts, together with Vanthoor were able to clinch a third consecutive Sprint Cup title.[16] They finished the season with 5 wins and 9 podiums in 10 races.
BMW M Factory Driver
At the end of the 2022 season Weerts confirmed he would part ways with Audi Sport and was later announced as a factory BMW M driver from the 2023 season on.[17] He was joined by his current teammate Dries Vanthoor and Team WRT, both making the switch from Audi as well. In his first race as an official BMW factory driver, the 2023 Kyalami 9 Hours, Weerts scored the overall victory alongside Vanthoor and Sheldon van der Linde.[18] Weerts once again embarked on a full-season GT World Challenge Europe campaign. Weerts stated his ambitions to remain on top in the Sprint Cup, but argued that the change in machinery for 2023 ensured that the team's efforts to score a fourth consecutive title wouldn't be easy.[19] Ultimately, the entry finished third in Sprint Cup points, tallying six total podium finishes and a sole race victory during the penultimate race weekend at Valencia.[20] In Endurance Cup competition, Weerts, Vanthoor, and van der Linde registered a best race finish of sixth at Monza, finishing 11th in the final points classification.
Heading into their second BMW season, Weerts and Vanthoor remained in the Sprint Cup and once again partnered van der Linde in the Endurance events.[21] The year began with two mistakes from Weerts, who first crashed with a lapped car at the Bathurst 12 Hours and then retired from the opening Endurance Cup event as a result of a collision with Alessio Rovera.[22][23] He redeemed himself in the first pair of Sprint Cup rounds, winning at Brands Hatch due to a strong pit stop as well as taking pole and victory in race 2 of the Misano weekend.[24][25]
Personal life
Weerts is heir to real estate and logistics company Weerts Group, with his father Yves having been its CEO since 1994.[26] Yves Weerts is a member of the board of directors at W Racing Team.[27]
Racing record
Career summary
† As Weerts was a guest driver, he was ineligible to score points.
* Season still in progress.
Complete ADAC Formula 4 Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | Pos | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Motopark | OSC1 1 12 | OSC1 2 15 | OSC1 3 18 | LAU 1 9 | LAU 2 16 | LAU 3 13 | RBR 1 17 | RBR 2 Ret | RBR 3 23 | OSC2 1 18 | OSC2 2 22 | OSC2 3 18 | NÜR 1 21 | NÜR 2 23 | NÜR 3 18 | SAC 1 Ret | SAC 2 15 | SAC 3 18 | HOC 1 21 | HOC 2 10 | HOC 3 12 | 22nd | 3 |
| 2018 | Van Amersfoort Racing | OSC 1 Ret | OSC 2 4 | OSC 3 3 | HOC1 1 7 | HOC1 2 4 | HOC1 3 4 | LAU 1 10 | LAU 2 5 | LAU 3 2 | RBR 1 5 | RBR 2 Ret | RBR 3 8 | HOC2 1 8 | HOC2 2 8 | NÜR 1 7 | NÜR 2 5 | NÜR 3 4 | HOC3 1 1 | HOC3 2 4 | HOC3 3 2 | 5th | 195 |
Complete GT World Challenge Europe results
GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup
| Year | Team | Car | Class | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Pos. | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Belgian Audi Club Team WRT | Audi R8 LMS Evo | Silver | MON 27 | SIL Ret | 25th | 1 | |||||
| Pro | LEC 13 | SPA 6H 30 | SPA 12H 22 | SPA 24H 12 | CAT Ret | NC | 0 | |||||
| 2020 | Belgian Audi Club Team WRT | Audi R8 LMS Evo | Pro | IMO 4 | NÜR 5 | SPA 6H 54 | SPA 12H 54 | SPA 24H Ret | LEC 4 | 8th | 39 | |
| 2021 | Team WRT | Audi R8 LMS Evo | Pro | MON Ret | LEC 2 | SPA 6H 5 | SPA 12H 2 | SPA 24H 2 | NÜR 6 | CAT 3 | 3rd | 79 |
| 2022 | Team WRT | Audi R8 LMS Evo II | Pro | IMO 1 | LEC 41 | SPA 6H 14 | SPA 12H 14 | SPA 24H Ret | HOC Ret | CAT 4 | 9th | 39 |
| 2023 | BMW M Team WRT | BMW M4 GT3 | Pro | MNZ 6 | LEC Ret | SPA 6H 1 | SPA 12H 52† | SPA 24H Ret | NÜR 7 | CAT 11 | 11th | 26 |
| 2024 | Team WRT | BMW M4 GT3 | Pro | LEC Ret | SPA 6H | SPA 12H | SPA 24H | NÜR | MNZ | JED | NC* | 0* |
* Season still in progress.
GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup
| Year | Team | Car | Class | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Pos. | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Belgian Audi Club Team WRT | Audi R8 LMS Evo | Pro | BRH 1 12 | BRH 2 6 | MIS 1 Ret | MIS 2 1 | ZAN 1 13 | ZAN 2 5 | NÜR 1 4 | NÜR 2 26 | HUN 1 8 | HUN 2 7 | 6th | 40.5 |
| 2020 | Belgian Audi Club Team WRT | Audi R8 LMS Evo | Pro | MIS 1 1 | MIS 2 4 | MIS 3 1 | MAG 1 3 | MAG 2 4 | ZAN 1 12 | ZAN 2 7 | CAT 1 6 | CAT 2 2 | CAT 3 2 | 1st | 89 |
| 2021 | Team WRT | Audi R8 LMS Evo | Pro | MAG 1 1 | MAG 2 2 | ZAN 1 8 | ZAN 2 3 | MIS 1 1 | MIS 2 1 | BRH 1 1 | BRH 2 2 | VAL 1 16 | VAL 2 Ret | 1st | 103.5 |
| 2022 | Team WRT | Audi R8 LMS Evo II | Pro | BRH 1 2 | BRH 2 2 | MAG 1 1 | MAG 2 6 | ZAN 1 1 | ZAN 2 2 | MIS 1 1 | MIS 2 1 | VAL 1 3 | VAL 2 1 | 1st | 135.5 |
| 2023 | BMW M Team WRT | BMW M4 GT3 | Pro | BRH 1 3 | BRH 2 3 | MIS 1 3 | MIS 2 9 | HOC 1 3 | HOC 2 5 | VAL 1 5 | VAL 2 1 | ZAN 1 5 | ZAN 2 2 | 3rd | 86.5 |
| 2024 | BMW M Team WRT | BMW M4 GT3 | Pro | BRH 1 1 | BRH 2 7 | MIS 1 2 | MIS 2 1 | HOC 1 | HOC 2 | MAG 1 | MAG 2 | CAT 1 | CAT 2 | 1st* | 49* |
* Season still in progress.
References
External links
- Charles Weerts at W Racing Team