Max Hesse (born 23 July 2001) is a German racing driver driving for ROWE Racing in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup. He has been part of the BMW M Motorsport works driver stable since 2023.

Career

Hesse began his car racing career in the TCR touring car scene, making his ADAC TCR Germany debut in 2017 before embarking on a full season with PROsport Performance in 2018. Following a sixth-place finish in the standings and the Rookie Trophy title, the German moved to Hyundai Team Engstler ahead of the 2019 season. He took his first podiums in the opening three races before going on a run of four victories in the final eight races, narrowly winning the title against defending champion Harald Proczyk. As a consequence of his title-winning season, Hesse was named the ADAC Junior Motorsportsman of the year.

Hesse switched his focus to the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie from 2020 onward as a newly minted BMW junior driver, racing in multiple events in the SP8T and Cup 5 classes. The former would see Hesse attain success, with him winning the 24 Hours of Nürburgring for Walkenhorst Motorsport. In 2021, he and N24-winning teammates Dan Harper and Neil Verhagen went on to drive in the NLS's SP9 category, the highest-placed GT class, under the Team RMG banner. With two wins, the trio finished second in the standings, though they were forced to retire from the Nürburgring 24 Hours.

The trio remained together for the next two years, competing with Rowe Racing in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup. Their highlight performance came with a second place at the 2023 season-opener at Monza, in the first year which Hesse, Harper, and Verhagen contested as full BMW factory drivers. Further successes included an overall race win in the NLS and a personal success for Hesse, who won the second race of the Road to Le Mans event alongside Valentino Rossi.

Hesse and Harper both returned to the Endurance Cup and Rowe Racing in 2024, this time partnering Augusto Farfus. At the first race in Le Castellet, an impressive performance by both Hesse and Harper enabled the team to come out victorious. Hesse added to his accolades at the end of May by taking pole position for the Nürburgring 24 Hours, making him the youngest polesitter in the history of the race. In a rain-shortened event, Hesse, Harper, and Charles Weerts ended up third.

Racing record

Racing career summary

SeasonSeriesTeamRacesWinsPolesF/LapsPodiumsPointsPosition2017ADAC TCR GermanyAust Motorsport40000043rd2018ADAC TCR GermanyPROsport Performance1400002476thGT4 International CupPhoenix Racing10000N/A8th2019ADAC TCR GermanyHyundai Team Engstler1442294381st2020Nürburgring Endurance Series - SP8TFK Performance Motorsport1000011.254thWalkenhorst Motorsport20001Nürburgring Endurance Series - Cup 5FK Performance Motorsport1000011.6728thWalkenhorst Motorsport1000024 Hours of Nürburgring - SP8T11001N/A1st2021Nürburgring Endurance Series - SP9BMW Team RMG7200439.222nd24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP9BMW Junior Team Shell10000N/ADNF24H GT Series - P4BMW M Motorsport110010NC†2022GT World Challenge Europe Endurance CupBMW Junior Team with ROWE Racing500003611thNürburgring Endurance Series - SP9BMW Junior Team100000NC†24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP9 BMW Junior Team Shell10000N/ADNF2022-23 Middle East Trophy - GT3 KFC VR46 Team WRT100010NC†202324H GT Series - GT3Team WRT100010NC† Le Mans Cup - GT3211120NC†GT World Challenge Europe Endurance CupROWE Racing 5 0 0 0 1 3310th Nürburgring Endurance Series - SP9 Pro BMW Junior Team 3 1 0 0 2 0 NC† 24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP910000N/ADNF2024 GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup ROWE Racing 5 1 0 1 1 368th Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie - SP9 BMW M Team RMG 2 0 0 0 0 * * 24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP910101N/A3rd Italian GT Sprint Championship - GT3 BMW Italia Ceccato Racing 4 2 1 1 3 57 NC† British GT Championship - GT3 RAM Racing 3 0 0 0 0 0 NC Intercontinental GT Challenge BMW M Team RMG10101365th ROWE Racing 1 0 0 0 1 Team WRT 1 0 0 0 0 Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie - SP3T FK Performance MotorsportGT World Challenge America - ProTeam WRT100000NC†2025 Middle East Trophy - GT3 Al Manar Racing by Team WRT 1 1 0 0 1 0 NC† IMSA SportsCar Championship - GTD Pro Paul Miller Racing 10 2 2 1 4 2984 4thGT World Challenge Europe Endurance CupROWE Racing 1 0 0 0 0 13 15thInternational GT OpenRacing Trevor 5 0 1 1 0 4 35th2026IMSA SportsCar Championship - GTD ProPaul Miller Racing2100165825thNürburgring Langstrecken-Serie - SP9Rowe Racing21001153rd* 24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP910001N/A 3rdGT World Challenge Europe Endurance CupTeam WRT200000NC*GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup10010033.57th Italian GT Championship Sprint Cup - GT3 BMW Italia Ceccato RacingGT World Challenge AsiaTeam KRC † As Hesse was a guest driver, he was ineligible to score points.* Season still in progress.

Complete ADAC TCR Germany Touring Car Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 DC Points 2017 Aust Motorsport Audi RS3 LMS TCR OSC1 OSC2 LAU1 LAU2 RBR1 RBR2 ZAN1 ZAN2 NÜR1 NÜR2 SAC1 SAC2 HOC1 HOC2 43rd 0 2018 PROsport Performance Audi RS3 LMS TCR OSC1 OSC2 MST1 MST2 RBR1 RBR2 NÜR1 NÜR2 ZAN1 ZAN2 SAC1 SAC2 HOC1 HOC2 6th 247 2019 Hyundai Team Engstler Hyundai i30 N TCR OSC1 OSC2 MST1 MST2 RBR1 RBR2 ZAN1 ZAN2 NÜR1 NÜR2 HOC1 HOC2 SAC1 SAC2 1st 438

Complete 24 Hours of Nürburgring results Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps 2020 Walkenhorst Motorsport Dan Harper Neil Verhagen BMW M4 GT4 SP8T 78 19th 1st 2021 BMW Junior Team Shell Augusto Farfus Dan Harper Neil Verhagen BMW M6 GT3 SP9 54 DNF DNF 2022 BMW Junior Team Shell Dan Harper Neil Verhagen BMW M4 GT3 SP9 86 DNF DNF 2023 BMW Junior Team Dan Harper Neil Verhagen BMW M4 GT3 SP996DNFDNF 2024 BMW M Team RMG Dan Harper Charles Weerts BMW M4 GT3 SP9 50 3rd 3rd 2026 Rowe Racing Dan Harper Sheldon van der Linde Dries Vanthoor BMW M4 GT3 Evo SP9 156 3rd 3rd

Complete 24H GT Series results Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class 1 2 3 2022–23 KFC VR46 with Team WRT Sean Gelael Valentino Rossi Maxime Martin Tim Whale BMW M4 GT3 Pro KUW DUB ABU NC NC

Complete GT World Challenge Europe results GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team Car Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Pos. Points 2022 ROWE Racing BMW M4 GT3 Pro IMO LEC SPA6H SPA12H SPA24H HOC CAT 11th 36 2023 ROWE Racing BMW M4 GT3 ProMNZLECSPA6HSPA12HSPA24HNÜR CAT 10th 332024ROWE RacingBMW M4 GT3Pro LEC SPA6H SPA12H SPA24H NÜR MNZ JED 8th 362025ROWE RacingBMW M4 GT3 EvoProLECMNZ SPA6H SPA12H SPA24HNÜRCAT 15th 13 2026 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 Evo Pro LEC MNZ SPA6H SPA12H SPA24H NÜR ALG 17th* 13*

GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team Car Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Pos. Points 2026 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 Evo Pro BRH1 BRH2 MIS1 MIS2 MAG1 MAG2 ZAN1 ZAN2 CAT1 CAT2 7th 33.5

Complete IMSA SportsCar Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Entrant Class Make Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Rank Points 2025 Paul Miller Racing GTD Pro BMW M4 GT3 Evo BMW P58 3.0 L Twin Turbo I6 DAY SEB LGA DET WGL MOS ELK VIR IMS PET 4th 2984 2026 Paul Miller Racing GTD Pro BMW M4 GT3 Evo BMW P58 3.0 L Twin Turbo I6 DAY SEB LGA DET WGL MOS ELK VIR IMS PET25th658

References

External links