BMW M Motorsport has just signed South African driver Jordan Pepper as BMW M works driver for the 2026 season.
Jordan Pepper has just been signed as a BMW M works driver for the 2026 season, following his victory in the 24 Hours of Spa this year, as well as claiming his first DTM win in his first full season. 29-year-old Pepper will become the third South African driver to be signed by BMW M, joining brothers Sheldon and Kelvin van der Linde.
In the 2026 GT racing season, Pepper will race the BMW M4 GT3 EVO, the latest evolution of the Bavarian automaker’s GT racecar. The M4 GT3 EVO is powered by a twin-turbo 3.0-litre, six-cylinder engine. Codenamed P58, the 3.0-litre engine is a race-ready version of the unit that powers the road-going BMW M4. While specific power output varies depending on the Balance of Performance (BoP) regulations of each race series, the M4 GT3 EVO is capable of producing up to 439 kW and 700 N.m of torque.
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 lineup 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.”
Some of Jordan Pepper’s other achievements in the GT racing discipline include finishing as runner-up in the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup, placing just behind the Team WRT duo of Kelvin van der Linde and Charles Weerts, and repeating that second-place result in the 2024 Endurance Cup. He also won the GTD-PRO class at the 2024 IMSA Petit Le Mans, secured the GT World Challenge America title in 2021, claimed victory at the 2020 Bathurst 12 Hour and won the overall Volkswagen Scirocco R Cup Germany title in 2014. This year wasn’t the first time he and Kelvin van der Linde competed against each other, as they both raced in the 2012 season of the Volkswagen Polo Cup.
Jordan Pepper said, “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.”
More details regarding Pepper’s driving schedule will be released closer to the beginning of the 2026 season.
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