Dries Vanthoor Bio
Dries Vanthoor (born 20 April 1998 in Heusden-Zolder, Limburg, Belgium) is a professional racing driver from Belgium who currently competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship with BMW M Team WRT. The Belgian driver made his name as an Audi factory driver before transitioning to the BMW factory lineup, accumulating multiple major victories and championship titles throughout his career.
He is the younger brother of Laurens Vanthoor, who serves as a Porsche factory driver. The Vanthoor brothers have established themselves as prominent figures in international endurance racing, with Dries building an impressive resume through his performances in GT racing and prototype competition.
Early Life and Background
Dries Vanthoor was born on April 20, 1998, in Heusden-Zolder, located in the Limburg province of Belgium. Growing up in a racing family, Vanthoor was exposed to motorsports from an early age through his older brother Laurens, who would go on to become a successful factory driver for Porsche.
Vanthoor began his motorsport journey in karting, a discipline where he competed and developed his fundamental racing skills until 2014. This formative period provided him with the essential experience needed to transition to single-seater racing and eventually to sportscar competition.
Path to Professional Racing
In 2015, Vanthoor made the significant step from karting to junior formula racing, joining Josef Kaufmann Racing to compete in the Formula Renault 2.0 Northern European Cup. The 17-year-old demonstrated immediate potential by securing a victory at Assen and earning a third-place finish at the Nürburgring.
Vanthoor concluded his debut season in single-seaters with a sixth-place finish in the championship standings. This solid performance in Formula Renault provided the foundation for his transition to sportscar racing, which would become the focus of his professional career.
Dries Vanthoor Career
Early Career (2016-2017)
Vanthoor switched to sportscar racing in 2016, competing in both the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup and Sprint Cup for Team WRT. Partnering with Frédéric Vervisch in both series and his brother Laurens in the Endurance Cup, the rookie scored two podiums in the Endurance Cup, including a second place at Silverstone, finishing eighth overall.
The same year, Vanthoor claimed a significant victory at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring, winning in the Cup 5 class with Bonk Motorsport. He also made his prototype racing debut at the 4 Hours of Spa in the European Le Mans Series, finishing second alongside his brother and Will Stevens.
Audi Era Breakthrough (2016-2022)
Following his rookie season, Audi Sport announced that Vanthoor would become a factory driver from 2018 onwards. In January 2018, he claimed victory at the Bathurst 12 Hours alongside Robin Frijns and Stuart Leonard in a rain-shortened race. That season also brought his first Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup win at Monza.
Vanthoor secured a major endurance racing victory in 2019, winning the 24 Hours of Nürburgring overall with Team Phoenix. His teammates for the victory were Pierre Kaffer, Frank Stippler, and Frédéric Vervisch. This win cemented his reputation as a capable endurance racer.
The 2020 season marked the beginning of Vanthoor’s partnership with Charles Weerts in the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup. The pair won the championship with two victories and three additional podiums during a season affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Their partnership proved highly successful in the following years.
In 2021, Vanthoor and Weerts delivered a dominant title defense in the Sprint Cup, winning the championship with one event remaining. They secured four wins including a weekend sweep at Misano. In the Endurance Cup, they challenged for the title with second-place finishes at Le Castellet and the 24 Hours of Spa.
Vanthoor and Weerts achieved their most successful Sprint Cup campaign in 2022, winning five of the ten races and claiming the title at the final round in Valencia. The victory made them the most successful pairing in the series’s history. Vanthoor also won the 6 Hours of Fuji in the LMP2 class and claimed his second 24 Hours of Nürburgring victory that year.
BMW M Team WRT Era (2023-Present)
At the end of the 2022 season, Vanthoor left Audi and joined the BMW factory lineup. The 2023 season marked his first campaign with the BMW M4 GT3 in both the Endurance and Sprint cups. In the Sprint Cup with Weerts, he won at Valencia and collected five podiums to finish third in points.
Vanthoor moved to prototype racing in 2024, joining the WRT-run BMW Hypercar program in the FIA World Endurance Championship. He shared driving duties in the BMW M Hybrid V8 with Marco Wittmann and Raffaele Marciello. At the 24 Hours of Le Mans, he qualified the car on pole before a crash in Hyperpole.
The BMW program achieved its first WEC podium at the 6 Hours of Fuji, where Vanthoor, Marciello, and Wittmann finished second. This result marked a significant milestone for the BMW M Hybrid V8 in its debut season.
Driving Style and Strengths
Vanthoor has demonstrated versatility across different racing categories, from GT3 competition to prototype racing. His partnership with Charles Weerts in the Sprint Cup showcased his consistency and ability to work effectively with teammates. Vanthoor has also proven capable in qualifying, securing pole positions in both GT and prototype categories.
Notable Races and Milestones
Vanthoor’s career highlights include victories at some of endurance racing’s most prestigious events. The Bathurst 12 Hours win in 2018, the 24 Hours of Nürburgring overall victories in 2019 and 2022, and his three consecutive GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup championships stand as defining achievements. His transition to Hypercar competition and pole position at the 24 Hours of Le Mans represent his continued evolution as a driver.
Dries Vanthoor Career Wins
Dries Vanthoor has secured victories across multiple categories, including major endurance races and championship titles. His success spans GT racing competition with both Audi and BMW, as well as prototype racing achievements.
GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup Highlights
Vanthoor won three consecutive GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup championships from 2020 to 2022 alongside Charles Weerts. Their 2022 campaign was particularly dominant, with five wins from ten races securing the title at Valencia. The pair became the most successful drivers in the series’s history.
Endurance Racing Highlights
Vanthoor claimed victory at the Bathurst 12 Hours in 2018 driving an Audi R8. He won the 24 Hours of Nürburgring overall in 2019 with Team Phoenix and added a second victory in the event in 2022. In 2022, he also won the 6 Hours of Fuji in the LMP2 class, demonstrating his versatility in prototype machinery.
Dries Vanthoor Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Dries Vanthoor comes from a racing family, with his older brother Laurens Vanthoor serving as a Porsche factory driver. Laurens has achieved significant success in endurance racing, including multiple victories at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring and the Total 24 Hours of Spa. The Vanthoor brothers represent a rare example of siblings both reaching the highest level of factory GT racing.
2025 Season Performance
Vanthoor began the 2025 season at the 24 Hours of Daytona, where he drove the BMW M Hybrid V8 to its first-ever pole position. Qualifying fastest in the #24 car, Vanthoor and teammates Kevin Magnussen, Raffaele Marciello, and Philipp Eng contended for the overall race victory throughout the event. The team battled with Porsche Penske Motorsport and Meyer Shank Racing in the closing stages.
Despite running in contention for the win in the final hour, the #24 BMW developed an issue with its nose that progressively worsened. After attempting to stay out to maintain their position, the team was forced to pit for repairs when the car’s condition deteriorated beyond safe operating limits. The late-race setback resulted in a fourth-place finish for Vanthoor and his co-drivers.